Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Club for Open-Minded Discussion & Debate

[ChaoticMindSays]

What is beauty?
I would define beauty as being a quality about something, or someone, that brings warmth, peace, amazement, ect. to a persons perspective.
You?
Please, refrain from sending me dictionary responses. I want opinions, personal ideas. Not stereotypical dictionary gibberish (that is never quite the same from dictionary to dictionary )

[Intuitiv3infid3l]

Beauty is the visual representation of superiority.

[ChaoticMindSays]

"Beauty is the visual representation of superiority."
That seems like a rather weak definition to me. I do not consider something to be superior to something else because it is more beautiful. Beauty may be an characteristic that superiority can hold but It does not automatically mean something is superior.

[Intuitiv3infid3l]

"Beauty is the visual representation of superiority."
That seems like a rather weak definition to me. I do not consider something to be superior to something else because it is more beautiful. Beauty may be an characteristic that superiority can hold but It does not automatically mean something is superior.

Give me an example refuting my definition.

[ChaoticMindSays]

"Beauty is the visual representation of superiority."

Well superiority is a quality judgment... And quality is relative. SO what may be superior to you may not be superior to me, there-for neither flower is superior to the other. I just think that superiority is a poor word choice to define beauty.
Say you look at two men, one is very ugly and one is very handsome. They are fighting, the ugly man is winning and is there-for 'superior'. In this situation you have two "Visual representations of superiority". One which says one mans looks are superior to the others and one which says the other mans fighting prowess is superior. But that fails to answer the question of who is more beautiful through your definition.
(note; Just because the ugly mans fighting prowess is superior to the handsome mans does not necessarily mean that his fighting style is more beautiful."

[Intuitiv3infid3l]

"Beauty is the visual representation of superiority."

Well superiority is a quality judgment... And quality is relative. SO what may be superior to you may not be superior to me, there-for neither flower is superior to the other. I just think that superiority is a poor word choice to define beauty.
Say you look at two men, one is very ugly and one is very handsome. They are fighting, the ugly man is winning and is there-for 'superior'. In this situation you have two "Visual representations of superiority". One which says one mans looks are superior to the others and one which says the other mans fighting prowess is superior. But that fails to answer the question of who is more beautiful through your definition.
(note; Just because the ugly mans fighting prowess is superior to the handsome mans does not necessarily mean that his fighting style is more beautiful."

You fail to grasp the logic here. Let me put it another way. Beauty=visual superiority.

The man that has the most overall superiority wins. If they are perfectly equal in terms superiority in both sections (looks and fighting skill) or any other section (this is where the ambiguity kicks in... everybody cherishes difference sections and considers some sections more important than others) then they are perfectly equal in terms of beauty.

When you see a flower, the most beautiful one is the one that you find most superior. If you find a crippled flower and you think it is more superior then a fresh flower, then that means that factually you think the quality of being crippled is more superior than freshness; otherwise you would be looking and admiring at the fresh flower instead. Simple logic. Remember, superiority simply means the quality of being better than something else. If you find one thing to be most beautiful than obviously you find it to be better (in whatever aspect that is most important to you) than the rest. Therefore it is superior. Therefore beauty is superiority after the ambiguity of the beholder has been weighed in.

[ChaoticMindSays]

"You fail to grasp the logic here. Let me put it another way. Beauty=visual superiority."

I understand what you are trying to get at but find your logic to be flawed.

"then that means that factually you think the quality of being crippled is more superior than freshness"

That does not factually mean anything... Every person has their own opinions and some may see more beauty in flaw that in 'freshness'. That does not necessarily mean that they believe the quality of being crippled is superior.

[wanabe]

Elin Grindemyr: is the name of that rock some girl is on. I wish I could get a picture of just that rock; it's so beautiful.

A picture is worth infinite words.

Beauty is subjective, it defies definition. It would be more practical to list beautiful things and argue about the items on that list.

[ChaoticMindSays]

wanabe said,
"Beauty is subjective, it defies definition. It would be more practical to list beautiful things and argue about the items on that list."

I always appreciate the things you have to say.
I agree that beauty for the most part, 'defies definition' but I also believe that it is part of human intellectual growth to define such concepts, so that we may further explore the qualities of said concepts, as best we can.

So, if you would, what is your best definition of beauty? What is the impression that something beautiful leaves on you?

[wanabe]

ChaoticMindSays,
Maybe not my best, but what comes to mind at the moment.

In all seriousness: A smooth, wet, well lubricated, but sticky felling.

That is to say: something that is beautiful has fluid movement into other aspects of one’s life; there for it sticks with a person throughout there life.

[Tylerium]

So, if you would, what is your best definition of beauty?

One definition would be the brain's inherent recognition of divine proportions. In living things, it would also have to do with health and genetics.

What is the impression that something beautiful leaves on you?

Reverence or desire, you decide.

[ChaoticMindSays]

Wanabe,
"something that is beautiful has fluid movement into other aspects of one’s life; there for it sticks with a person throughout there life."
I like that, The idea that beauty is something that effects us and changes the way we relate with conscious reality. It has a deep feeling, beauty is the connections between things/concepts and people that relates a sense of fluidity and wholeness.

Tylerium said,
"One definition would be the brain's inherent recognition of divine proportions. In living things, it would also have to do with health and genetics. "
Again, the connections, "Divine proportions". A sense of something being deeper than it's face value.

"Reverence or desire"

I always feel peace, stillness, oneness, calmness, like I'm floating.

[Sleeping dragon]

Beauty is in the function. A flower needs to be more pleasing to the eye and smell to be picked up. There may be other qualities in a flower to make it more desirable but these two are the most obvious. For a fruit-baring tree beauty, it is the tree's health and age, both have its physical manifestation. A beautiful woman is only beautiful when she can underline it with health and desirable character. Without it, she turns to a stuffed doll loosing most of her sex appeal and attractiveness to the point where her looks become an avatar of ugliness. In all living things beauty is fleeting and in most it has to be cultivated to stay for whatever small moment it springs up to life.

In general, in live, beauty comes with many concepts, but the function always is needed to define it. Quality and durability of oak has its beauty that can only be perceived by those who understand how useful its timber is.

Art defines beauty subjectively. There is no easy benchmark to define artistic beauty. Artistic beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or beer holder when such is at hand.

[ChaoticMindSays]

Sleeping dragon said

Beauty is in the function. A flower needs to be more pleasing to the eye and smell to be picked up. There may be other qualities in a flower to make it more desirable but these two are the most obvious. For a fruit-baring tree beauty, it is the tree's health and age, both have its physical manifestation. A beautiful woman is only beautiful when she can underline it with health and desirable character. Without it, she turns to a stuffed doll loosing most of her sex appeal and attractiveness to the point where her looks become an avatar of ugliness. In all living things beauty is fleeting and in most it has to be cultivated to stay for whatever small moment it springs up to life.

In general, in live, beauty comes with many concepts, but the function always is needed to define it. Quality and durability of oak has its beauty that can only be perceived by those who understand how useful its timber is.

Art defines beauty subjectively. There is no easy benchmark to define artistic beauty. Artistic beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or beer holder when such is at hand.

Lol...
Hmm, beauty is in the function. That is a very good way of putting it. I agree that it is a very subjective experience, but beauty is a quality based concept and quality can also be judged objectively, to some extent.

[Sleeping dragon]

You cannot judge things objectively to some extend. Objectivity implies no extends. Nothing is perfect objectively so nothing can be objectively beautyfullest, only comparatively. The prettiest flower in the meadow may seem most beautiful but it is not objectively so. There had been even prettier flowers before there and there will be more after. One can always artificially grow a still better looking one, just like giant strawberries, if nature is not enough to render its beauty.