There are various definitions of beauty, including classical, contemporary, and postmodern. In both definitions, beauty is the organization of integral parts into an aesthetically pleasing whole. This is the classical conception of beauty, which is embodied in the aesthetics of classical and neoclassical architecture, sculpture, literature, and music. According to Aristotle, beauty is the presentation of order in the arrangement of parts. Consequently, beauty is a universal concept that has multiple interpretations, depending on the context in which it occurs.
A purely subjective account of beauty is problematic, as it can lead to controversy over matters of taste. Subjective beauty is often subjective, and people have strong opinions about whether or not a thing is beautiful. Philosophers like Hume and Kant recognized this difficulty, and argued that beauty is an abstract concept that has no objective, scientific, or measurable properties. Beauty is a form of pleasure, not a universal standard of good taste. However, the concept of beauty must be applied to the specific circumstances in which it is experienced.
Modernist designers have long rejected chaos, and they tended to focus on order. As a result, beauty must be the “sweet spot” between order and chaos. Modernist designers, for example, eschewed chaos in all its forms. To address this paradox, Sagmeister and Walsh used an equation called M = O/C to measure the “beauty factor” of a particular design. The ratio between beauty and complexity is important for every design project.
Ancient philosophical accounts of beauty often pay homage to the pleasures of beauty and describe them in ecstatic terms. Plotinus, for example, writes about beauty as the experience of wonder, delicious trouble, longing, love, and trembling – all of which are ascribed to beauty. These philosophical views are atypical of the modern conception of beauty. This distinction is particularly important because they do not allow us to define beauty through aesthetic attributes.
The second definition of beauty is related to the ‘form’ of an object. In this view, beauty is a result of a person’s sense of aesthetic pleasure. Beauty can be either a material or a non-physical quality. Nevertheless, it is an inherent quality of human beings. Beauty does not mean that a thing is ‘good’ in and of itself. It can simply be an outcome of a human experience.
This political association of beauty can be a problem in many ways. For instance, it has been linked to gender, race, and other aspects of human existence. Even early twentieth-century philosophy and the late twentieth century social justice movement have failed to address these issues. In both cases, political associations of beauty have complicated the concept of beauty. The political association of beauty, in the case of beauty, has been deeply problematic. So, the question is, how do we make our minds think about beauty in a way that makes sense?
While the ancient Chinese practiced cosmetics to enhance the beauty of their bodies, European women used a wide range of herbal creams and hair dyes to enhance their facial appearance. These women would pluck their hair all the way up to their crowns to produce high, rounded foreheads. In addition, they would use boiling wax to coat their hair in attractive styles. These techniques are reminiscent of today’s beauty products. If you are looking for a beauty ritual, you should consider trying one of these!