To experience beauty, we must’see’ the ‘perfect’ and “perfect” objects. The same object can be seen in various ways. For instance, a person suffering from jaundice sees things in yellow instead of green. Moreover, a person’s perception of beauty varies based on the state of his or her health. If this were true of the human soul, then ‘beauty’ would be a universal language.
In the Western world, beauty is defined as a quality present in things that please the senses and sight. Objects of beauty may be aesthetic, meaningful or spiritual. People may be considered beautiful depending on their looks or their lifestyle, age or race. Similarly, women may be viewed as beautiful if they are thin and have a good figure. Popular culture, such as the media, has a way of defining beauty. However, it is important to remember that the beauty of objects is subjective.
Ancient treatments of beauty pay tribute to the pleasures of beauty. Often, these pieces express the ecstatic nature of beauty. Plotinus wrote about the “perfect unity” of the human body as a form of beauty. Other elements of beauty include the symmetry of parts, the colour of their parts, and the ‘perfect delight’ of the human being. Regardless of the type of art or aesthetics, we can’t deny that we love beauty.
