Beauty is one of the most contested debates in literature. There are so many different ways to describe beauty that it is hard to know what to believe. This article will provide a brief summary of some of the major theories on beauty. It will also outline some of the main arguments and points of contention.
Some of the earliest treatments of beauty are often expressed in ecstatic terms. For example, Plotinus wrote about longing and love. In his neo-Platonism, he included the fact that beauty calls out to love. However, in some ancient treatments, the pleasures of beauty are characterized in a more practical way.
The first requirement for beauty is integrity. Integrity means completeness by interior logic. Similarly, the second requirement for beauty is proportion. The third requirement is consonance.
A fourth requirement is clarity. This can be achieved by embracing self-acceptance. When we look at ourselves, we should take the time to wipe away all of our judgments. Instead, we should create a fourth mirror.
Typically, in a classical conception of beauty, beauty is a matter of proportion. The sculpture known as ‘The Canon’ was considered to be a model of harmonious proportion. However, in modern times, beauty has become associated with capitalism. This has led to discrediting of beauty.
One of the most recent and controversial discussions on beauty is the issue of whether or not it is objective. In particular, this issue has caused problems in the relationship between gender, race, and other aspects. Social justice movements have tried to address this issue. But they have ignored the role of political associations of beauty.
Early twentieth century philosophers were less concerned with the nature of beauty than with its political and economic associations. For example, the French revolutionaries saw beauty as a symbol of wealth and aristocracy. During the Renaissance, plumpness was seen as a sign of wealth. While the Renaissance period may have been a golden age for art, beauty was largely discredited by the French Revolution and other revolutions in the early twentieth century.
Kant’s philosophy of aesthetics is characterized by an erecting of skepticism. His treatment of beauty in terms of disinterested pleasure has obvious elements of hedonism. He risks falling victim to relativism.
On the other hand, George Santayana was emphatic in identifying beauty as pleasure. Santayana thought that a person’s experience of beauty can be profound and profoundly meaningful. He believed that a person’s life could be lived on a foundation of experience and pleasure.
In addition, a rational understanding of beauty involves the search for a formula or model of the essence. Rather than a subjective reaction, however, beauty offers perceptual experience to the intellect and the moral sense.
A rational conception of beauty can be formulated by considering the three qualifications of beauty outlined by Thomas Aquinas. These requirements are: 1. The object has integrity; 2. The form has proportion; 3. The work has consonance.
Regardless of its philosophical approach, beauty is important in times of political turmoil. Research by MORI shows that the general public values beauty.