Do you know what is Beautiful and what isn't?

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Its entirely opinionated.. Not factual.

"Beauty deformed is the most beautiful of all" ... no idea who said that. Might even have been me. Has a nice ring to it. Not sure its all that true though.

Beauty is personal, perception based, and about the most subjective thing going.

Yes, it is whatever each of us likes.

cats are beautiful!

Metaphysics
Epistemology
Ethics
Aesthetics

The four branches of philosophy. And within each one, there exist many theories. This is akin to asking, "do you know what is ethical and what isn't?"

The theory that "beauty is subjective" is but one of many. I believe it to be so, but only to a degree.

I don't believe my bedroom floor is beautiful, and I doubt that most would disagree. Presented with a photo of a lush & fertile landscape, most would likely find it beautiful. Because these are true, how can we cay that beauty is completely subjective?

And yet...some still have the hots for Britney Spears.

Subjective it is.

[On a more serious note, Grant Hildebrant, in his book The Origins of Architectural Pleasure, theorizes that that which may potentially serve our most basic human needs is what we find most beautiful.

Many would find this scene beautiful. That is because, according to Hildebrant, within the image we get a sense of safety (refuge) from being behind foliage, but we are able to see [potential threats] far into the distance (prospect). Combine that with nature (serenity, food) and water (we need it), and this is a very comforting image/view.

I didn't make this up, but I think he's got a point...

In sum, I didn't vote, because I don't know whether I know. I know what I think is beautiful. But is it beauty a priori? I have no idea. (Now, does it matter if it's a priori or a posteriori? Prolly not.)

(Yeah, I said "posteriori." Wanna fight about it? )

i = dork

affengeil, you raise some good points. It may not be completely subjective. I suspect beauty can be broken down into various different forms, some of which are more subjective than others.

The beauty inherent in say, the female form, can be wildly varied depending on all manner of factors. Culture can make a great difference. In say, Tunisian culture, there is a preference for shorter, large breasted females, preferably with decent hips. The taller, more Vogue Magazine looking women are not considered all that hot.

Some people consider Angelina Jolie the height of beauty, and indeed she does have many facets that are technically beautiful, but others think shes a big-lipped stick insect. Britney suffers from a similar problem. Well, not so much these days, as shes a raving skinhead nutter, but not so long ago, she was quite attractive.. if you like blondes. And theres the next thing.. things like hair colour are a matter of taste. Black, brunette, blonde, redhead.. which is most beautiful? Are asians truly the hottest and most attractive? Or are they a nation of schoolchildren?

Best we can say is that we know what WE like.

Incidentally.. your bedroom floor might not be "beautiful".. unless it were covered with the finest persian rugs, or tiled with an intricate mosaic. Even floors can be a thing of beauty, given the right decor.

do i know what is beautiful? yep. how do i know? because i am endlessly creative, and EVERYTHING has a beautiful element if you see/hear/twist LOOK-RIGHT AT IT.

eye contact is not just about overstimulation in a neg way... how many hours does it take to appreciate beauty properly? there is just not enough time to see everything. but luckily everything is inside of everything-- so as long as you are maxed-out, you are not missing any grass of a superior quality...