Beauty in America and the West Versus Beauty in Eastern Cultures

Beauty is often defined as an aesthetic quality of certain objects which makes these objects appealing to perceive. These objects could be natural, cultural or human-made. Beauty, along with beauty and art, is possibly the most influential theme of aesthetics, among the various branches of contemporary philosophy. Philosophy of beauty normally deals with how beauty relates to man (or woman) in the world of senses.

European philosophy of beauty has evolved through the process of continental exchange. Beauty in Europe, for instance, has always been associated with the Classical period. However, in the last few decades this view has undergone a considerable change, with more philosophers in North America, South America and in Asia attaining a similar opinion regarding beauty ideals. Philosophy of beauty currently has several different currents, although all share some common ideas and presuppositions.

Philosophy of beauty usually divides beauty into three types: artistic, bodily or psychological. Artistic beauty refers to beauty considered artistic in form, including the aesthetic values of art; Greek beauty therefore includes such things as statues, paintings and other visual arts. Body size and physical fitness, height and attractiveness are considered important aesthetic qualities of Greek and ancient Greek beauty. Theological beauty on the other hand concerns itself with the evaluation of beauty in terms of religious beliefs, and therefore is often connected with Eastern religion.

For the philosophers of beauty, western ideals of beauty are considered beautiful because of their perfection, whereas eastern ideals of beauty are considered beautiful due to their ugliness, in contrast to the beauty of Greeks and Romans. The ancient Greeks and Romans are often criticized for their ‘barbie-esque’ approach to beauty. According to them, women should be beautiful not because they look perfect but because of their ability to carry off men. This approach towards beauty came from the idea that the ideal of a Greek woman was a physically fit body and mind.

Beauty then became a matter of personal pride and vanity. In ancient times, it was the’mark of the womanhood,’ and was associated with emotionalism and egotism. In fact, Greek and Roman women were famous for showing off their physical attractiveness in public, especially when contests for beauty were held. As such, physical attractiveness was not only seen as an attribute of physical strength, but also as a measure of one’s social status and sexual potential. Ancient societies were fascinated by beauty, and beauty in many cases, was not a matter of choice or personal preference – beauty was important for all societies, and beauty in particular was valued above all other values.

Through the lenses of European history and western culture, beauty has become something of an ideology in and of itself. Ideas about beauty have been used to justify hierarchy and power, gender roles, prejudice, and violence. Through these lenses, beauty has been used to justify our ideas about ourselves, and the truth about the world in which we live. This is why I believe that we should reject the definitions of beauty that are currently being used by Europeans and others, and instead look to the more natural definitions of beauty that come from the Eastern cultures. The beauty that my parents saw in Greece, that my friends and I sought as teenagers, and that our children seek today are things that can be appreciated and are not defined by concepts of beauty that are politically correct, but which actually harm people by undermining their ability to see and appreciate beauty in all its forms.