Beauty is commonly defined as an aesthetic feature of certain objects, which makes these objects pleasant to see. These objects may include sunsets, landscapes, beautiful humans and artistic works of art. Beauty, along with art and taste, forms the very core of aesthetics, among the most important branches of science. It has been around since time immemorial.
We find beauty in nature everywhere we look. Beautiful objects are those that can satisfy our aesthetic senses. There is something inherently unsatisfying about objects which are not pleasing to our eyes and ears. They are neither beautiful nor pleasing to the eye and are thus automatically and imperfectly ugly. Beauty therefore has a very subjective nature, depending upon the viewers’ personal and subjective perspectives.
The word ‘beauty’ is sometimes used in contexts which are not truly organic or natural. Thus the term is sometimes used in contexts where beauty is truly an aesthetic quality inherent in objects. When this happens it becomes necessary for us to analyze whether or not the specific beauty we find is a real aesthetic quality or rather just an artificial one. The beauty philosophy attempts to answer such questions by posing as many questions of its own. In fact it has been said that no adequate answer can ever be definite because it is subjective and depends upon the point of view and attitude of the person concerned.
Philosophy of beauty differs greatly from aesthetics. The former focuses on the innate qualities of beauty inherent in all things, while the latter studies man’s attempt to modify or perfect the beauty he finds in things. Both philosophies try to answer fundamental questions concerning beauty such as Why is beauty so attractive? What makes things beautiful?
The two theories of aesthetics differ primarily in their approach to how beauty arises and their definition of beauty. Both theories agree that beauty arises from the interrelations between matter and spirit, but differentiate between physical beauty and aesthetic beauty. They also disagree on how beauty relates to the soul and its affective powers. Finally, both theories agree on the significance of beauty in society. One believes that beauty is inherently positive while the other believes that beauty is inherently negative.
The philosophy of beauty has been greatly influential in literature, art, architecture, and especially fashion. Many people have used the beauty philosophy to justify their own social opinions and actions. This is why you can find many articles in the Internet that support the belief of beauty products. Some of these articles even go as far as to attack beauty products and those who promote the concept of beauty.