Beauty: Is It in the Eye of the Beholder?

Paper Summary:

This paper studies the concept of beauty, examining the views of influential thinkers and society as a whole. The author looks at how beauty has been defined historically, as well as in modern times, and emphasizes the feminine associations with attractiveness. The paper discusses sexuality as it relates to beauty, concluding that, at least today, beauty and sex are intertwined. Finally, the paper investigates the role of emotion -- particularly romantic love -- in perceiving beauty.

From the Paper:

"Beauty is seldom an individual opinion. Again, we need to consider beauty as a more or less feminine trait. Men are seldom called "beautiful", except in the statues of the ancient Greeks and Romans, whose admiration for a physical body is timeless (especially when compared to the female body). There is no doubt that, if we can agree that beauty differs according to the desires or gratification of the onlooker or admirer, beauty can not provide a single form. We can fantasize about "beauty" when we see Madonna, perhaps, or Marilyn Molnroe, or Gwyneth Paltrow, in our current thinking. Our parents and grandparents might have preferred a more voluptuous Sophia Loren or Jane Russell. The Arts, for the most part, provide us with examples of what beauty is, or what it should be. Boys now lust for movie actresses such as Cameron Diaz or Alician Silverstone. Girls (and women) might think of handsome men like Harrison Ford or Mel Gibson as "beautiful" because these men arouse them sexually."

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