Beauty is most commonly defined as a subjective quality of specific objects, which makes those objects pleasurable to see. These objects could be landscapes, Sunsets, beautiful humans, works of art and many more. Beauty, along with individual taste and aesthetics, is the most important theme of aesthetics, another of the main branches of contemporary philosophy. It can be said that beauty appreciation is basically a quest for understanding that has to do with our understanding and appreciation of beauty. This idea has a number of philosophical underpinnings. Most significantly, aesthetics has a strong cultural and political impact, influencing artistic preferences, modes of communication and societal norms.
Under the influence of aesthetics, we can find a number of trends in beauty: the quest for a highly aesthetically pleasing product, an increased interest in beauty regimes, a desire to make the appearance of beauty more prominent and a rejection of beauty norms in favor of a more superficial one. Aesthetics has also had a profound effect on the formation of art. We can find traces of it in architecture, painting and sculpture. The history of beauty can be traced in the works of Picasso, Manet, Braque & Gris.
In the contemporary age, beauty has become associated with a particular culture and it is considered beautiful and desirable only within that culture. Modern beauty however is not considered beautiful or desirable by the majority of people, as it does not conform to the societal expectations. Beauty is however still considered an essential component of human consciousness, which is why some social media websites have turned to providing a rating system for different types of beauty. Beauty therefore, appears to have become very fragmented, with its various dimensions defined according to different criteria. Beauty therefore, continues to play an important role in our everyday lives, and this article only looks at some of its varied manifestations.