For those who are able to see beauty, it is a wonderful feeling that can bring great pleasure. It can also inspire us to try and emulate it, whether that be a sunset or a person’s smile. Beauty isn’t just a visual experience though, it can also be found in the ear, the intellect and even the moral sense. But what exactly is it? And how can we know if it is present?
Throughout the ages people have sought to answer these questions, and many different interpretations of beauty have emerged. For example, in ancient Greece the beautiful was associated with a harmonious arrangement of parts in a whole, often expressed mathematically in ratios such as the golden ratio. This idea became known as the classical conception of beauty and is reflected in classical architecture, sculpture, music, literature and art.
The eighteenth century saw a rise in empiricist philosophy, which treated beauty as an entirely subjective state of perception. This view was supported by the idea that, for example, color could be experienced differently depending on the perceptual equipment of the perceiver. For instance, if a person were blind or had jaundice much of the world would appear to take on a yellow cast.
However, Hume and Kant felt that something important was being lost if beauty was simply taken to be a matter of personal taste. For one thing, it is possible to discuss and debate the nature of beauty, and controversies have in fact arisen over particular works of art and architecture. In addition, if beauty is seen as something that only exists inside the head of the experiencer then it ceases to be a concept that can be shared between persons or even across societies.
It’s a tricky subject. Beauty can be subjective but there are some things that most of us will agree on, such as the fact that a beautiful person should look healthy and have a good temperament. The way that a person looks can have an impact on their mental and physical health, and this in turn will influence how they are perceived by other people. For example, if someone is overweight, it can send a message that they are not capable of reproducing, and this can lead to negative feelings in both the person themselves and those around them. On the other hand, if you look after your health and keep fit you will feel better, which can make you appear more attractive to others. This is a complicated and multifaceted issue and it’s worth considering how beauty can affect our lives on a daily basis. For example, if we are bombarded with images of airbrushed models and size ‘0’ bodies it can contribute to body image issues. Likewise, going on sunbeds to achieve an unnatural looking tan can be very unhealthy. It’s worth remembering that it is the inner qualities of a person that can be most beautiful, and it is important to appreciate effort rather than appearance alone.