Beauty is often defined as a subjective feature of things which makes these things enjoyable to see. These things include sunsets, landscapes, humans and creative works of art. Beauty, along with aesthetic sense, is the most significant part of aesthetics, among the major branches of psychology. Philosophers have made various attempts to define beauty, but all have failed. The best definition for beauty, offered by some psychologists, is that beauty is an emotional response to the given situation. It differs from personal worth, which is a response one gives when contemplating oneself and their belongings.
While some philosophers argue that there are only two types of beauty: instinct and desire, others say that beauty can be defined using other methods. For example, one psychologist defines beauty as emotional reaction. However, it is also possible to use the word beauty in much more complicated ways, depending on the point of view of the person using the term.
Philosophers who advocate for the intuitionistic view maintain that beauty is only a matter of the eye, where the beholder takes pleasure in the object of his or her sight. In other words, the beauty is there because it pleases the person who sees it. According to the second camp of aestheticians, beauty is something that we see in virtue of some abstract standard that has been evolved over time, which can be known as the aesthetic value. Under this school of thought, beauty exists because it satisfies a pre-established criterion.
The criterion may be a person’s physical appearance, or an ideal of how one should be treated socially, morally or physically. A few philosophers believe that the concept of beauty needs to be distinguished from the concept of beauty itself. For instance, it is said that the arab world is full of beautiful women, whereas the western world is full of flawless skin. The difference between the two concepts is purely a question of opinion, and not a definition.
One of the most widely accepted definitions of beauty is symmetry, and this definition is also used in Arab culture. In the arab world, both men and women consider women to be beautiful when they are completely adorned with makeup, and with clothes that are perfectly coiled and tied. Thus, the makeup is considered to enhance the beauty of a woman. This also explains why Arab women wear such elaborate clothing, which is not considered beautiful in the western world. Another example of the Arab world’s obsession with beauty is found in the djebel-e-hadda, a long gown that is worn by both men and women during special occasions.
The above description of beauty provides a framework for understanding beauty. It shows how many people use beauty to define themselves, and it illustrates how societies have been different in their views of beauty for many years. Each culture has its own notion of beauty, with varying standards depending on what the individuals in the culture deem to be beautiful. These differences, while very different, do not diminish the importance of beauty; rather, they highlight the importance of continuing to learn more about it and utilizing these differences to our advantage.