What Is Beauty?

Beauty is the aesthetic quality or mental attitude toward things that is considered beautiful. Beauty is widely defined as a subjective quality of objects which makes these objects enjoyable to see. These objects could be natural objects like nature, human beings and works of art. Beauty, along with beauty and art, is perhaps the most important theme of aesthetics, among the various branches of science.

It is true beauty however, may sometimes concern others and may even be controversial. A beauty that disturbs the peace and harmony in society, may concern some members of a society and may be socially unacceptable to some people. On the other hand, some physical attributes that beauty includes, like a young and healthy body, short hair or a straight figure may be considered beauty by some members of a society, but may still be considered unattractive by others. Similarly, some physical features of a person like a long face, dark eyes or a flat stomach may be considered beauty by some, but may still be considered unattractive by others.

The concept of beauty has different meanings for different cultures and societies. In some places and times, beauty is more subjective and relies on the aesthetic sense of members of a society whereas in other places and times, beauty is linked with a moral sense. For example, some people consider a fair skin as beauty, whereas others consider fair skin as an indicator of wealth or meanness. Similarly, some people may find physical beauty in young teenage girls while others may find this beauty in older women who have achieved a certain amount of puberty. Thus, it is necessary to examine beauty in various cultures or socio-economic situations to determine beauty.