The concept of beauty has a long and rich history, spanning many centuries, cultures and disciplines. Beauty is the combination of qualities that please the senses. It can be objective or subjective, depending on the person or culture that is trying to define it.
A classical conception of beauty is the arrangement of integral parts into a coherent whole. This can be seen in neoclassical sculpture and in classical music, art and architecture. Sometimes, this is expressed mathematically in ratios such as the golden ratio.
For example, a beautiful line is not symmetrical. Likewise, a beautiful song does not have the same lyrics at different times of the day. Even in the same object, different colors are observed at noon and midnight. Thus, the best way to judge something’s beauty is to consider what a person or culture experiences it as.
Another interesting aspect of beauty is its relationship to other aspects of life. In the early twentieth century, thinkers were grappling with beauty’s role in the age of wars, economic recessions and wastelands. These issues were not only theoretical, but also politically problematic, especially when paired with other aspects such as gender and race. Until the late twentieth century, the concept of beauty was not taken seriously in social justice movements. However, in the last few decades, these issues have been addressed in a variety of contexts.
In the classical era, the simplest definition of beauty was “something that makes you feel good”. As the years passed, however, more complicated and nuanced definitions of beauty began to surface. Modern thinkers began to question the utility of the concept and to scrutinize the fads associated with it. They were suspicious of what they saw as an excess of distractions, especially in the arts.
One important implication of the classical and modern conceptions of beauty is that the idea of beauty is not simply a fad. Indeed, in some cases, it became an object of sabotage. During the early twentieth century, the notion of beauty was associated with capitalism, and was subject to the destruction of both the individual and the collective.
One can argue that the notion of beauty is a good one, though not in the sense of justice. As the 20th century progressed, the idea of beauty was associated with the wealth and power of the aristocracy, and the art of the aristocracy was often dedicated to furnishing the homes of the wealthy. Furthermore, modern art was sometimes used as a means of sabotaging the lives of the privileged.
In the end, the concept of beauty was surpassed in the scientific world by its more impressive cousin, the miracle of the eye. While it is not the simplest of tasks to do, the ability to view a picture with a good quality optics is an invaluable skill. But it does not mean that a person can never appreciate an object’s true beauty.
One of the most important discoveries of the twentieth century was that the concept of beauty was not simply a fad. It took on a life of its own, and was subject to the vicissitudes of time and culture.