The Beauty Quiz

Understanding Beauty: Objectivism, Subjectivism, and Conceptions

Beauty is a feature of objects that provides pleasure or satisfaction, and it is one of the main subjects of aesthetics, a major branch of philosophy.
Beauty has both objective and subjective aspects, and it is often said to be "in the eye of the beholder".
There is a debate between objectivism and subjectivism about the existence and nature of beauty, and some philosophers propose an intersubjective or response-dependent theory to solve the "antinomy of taste".
Various conceptions of beauty have been proposed, including classical, hedonist, intrinsic value, projection, loving or longing attitude, and usefulness or function.
Classical conceptions define beauty in terms of the relation between the beautiful object as a whole and its parts, while hedonist conceptions see a necessary connection between pleasure and beauty.
Intrinsic value theory connects beauty to experience, while projection theory suggests that we project pleasure onto beautiful things.
Beauty played a central role in Greco-Roman tradition, and the earliest Western theory of beauty can be found in the works of early Greek philosophers from the pre-Socratic period, such as Pythagoras.
The Pythagoreans conceived of beauty as existing in a cosmological state, and they saw a strong connection between mathematics and beauty.
The classical concept of beauty exhibits perfect proportion, and an idea of spiritual beauty emerged during the classical period.
Xenophon's writing shows a conversation between Socrates and Aristippus, in which Socrates discerned differences in the conception of the beautiful.
Beauty is mainly discussed in relation to concrete objects accessible to sensory perception, but it has also been proposed that abstract objects like stories or mathematical proofs can be beautiful.
Beauty is often categorized as an aesthetic property besides other properties, like grace, elegance or the sublime, and it is usually listed as one of the three fundamental concepts of human understanding besides truth and goodness.A Brief History of Beauty
Beauty has been a subject of interest in philosophy since ancient times, with Plato and Aristotle both discussing it in their works.
The Gothic architecture of the Middle Ages saw light as the most beautiful revelation of God, with stained glass being a prominent feature.
The Renaissance saw a return to classical ideals of beauty, with artists and architects criticizing the Gothic period as irrational and barbaric.
The Age of Reason saw a rise in interest in beauty as a philosophical subject, with Francis Hutcheson arguing that beauty is "unity in variety and variety in unity".
Immanuel Kant believed that the experience of beauty is subjective, but that an object is judged to be beautiful when it seems to display "purposiveness".
The Romantic period saw Edmund Burke postulate a difference between beauty and the sublime, with Gothic art and architecture being seen as sublime.
The 20th century saw an increasing rejection of beauty by artists and philosophers alike, culminating in postmodernism's anti-aesthetics.
In recent years, there has been a return to beauty as an important value, with American analytic philosopher Guy Sircello proposing his New Theory of Beauty.
Confucius identified beauty with goodness, and considered a virtuous personality to be the greatest of beauties in Chinese philosophy.
Standards of beauty have changed over time, with the characterization of a person as "beautiful" often based on a combination of inner and outer beauty.
Exposure to the thin ideal in mass media has been linked to body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, and the development of eating disorders among female viewers.
Eurocentric beauty standards have varying effects on different cultures, with adherence to these standards among African American women breeding a lack of positive reification of African beauty.
In East Asian cultures, familial pressures and cultural norms shape beauty ideals, with media portrayals inducing anxiety and depressive symptoms among Asian American women who do not fit these ideals.The Impact of Beauty Standards on Society
The manual labor industry has created a visual divide over time between lighter complexioned, wealthier families and sun tanned, darker laborers, leading to insecurity and the use of skin lightening creams, rhinoplasty, and blepharoplasty among Asian women.
In Japan, the standard of beauty for men is known as 'bishōnen', leading to a multibillion-dollar industry of Japanese Aesthetic Salons.
Good-looking students are more likely to receive higher grades from their teachers, and physically attractive "defendants" are less likely to be convicted and receive lighter sentences.
Skin conditions can have a profound effect on social behavior and opportunity, according to studies among teens and young adults.
People low in physical attractiveness earn 5 to 10 percent less than ordinary-looking people, who in turn earn 3 to 8 percent less than those who are considered good-looking.
The least attractive people are less likely to get loan approvals, but they are also less likely to default.
Women's looks are more important than men's in the marriage market, and the impact of physical attractiveness on earnings varies across races, with the largest beauty wage gap among black women and black men.
Being very unattractive increases the individual's propensity for criminal activity for a range of crimes.
Discrimination against others based on their appearance is known as lookism.