The Philosophy of Beauty

Beauty is a term used in many different contexts. It is used by many of the greatest poets and essayists and continues to be used extensively by many people all over the world. It has various different meanings. For instance beauty can mean the physical attractiveness of a person or things, while beauty is also considered as an emotional state or attitude towards something. We could also say beauty is a quality of things, which makes those things pleasurable to see.

beauty

Beauty is commonly defined as the subjective experience of pleasure when being in contact with particular objects. In other words beauty is defined as the appreciation of beauty in objects or of persons. Such objects may include nature, Sunsets, landscapes, humans and artistic works. Beauty, along with other aesthetic experiences, is perhaps the most important theme of aesthetics, arguably the most important branch of Philosophy.

In the modern era we often tend to define beauty according to popular culture, with the artist as the pedestal to be appreciated. Popular culture however is deeply intertwined with all aspects of life including the artistic sensibility and aesthetic appreciation. It is important for all artists to take into consideration that beauty is a subjective experience and should not be based only on the criteria of the culture they belong to. With the development of the discipline of aesthetics in the modern era it has become possible to develop a general understanding of beauty, its essence and its different facets. Aesthetic knowledge is thus essential for artists in all disciplines, as it helps them express their own feelings and creativity in the most meaningful and aesthetically satisfactory manner.