Health

Absolute Beauty and Relative Beauty

by ishambat | January 13, 2012 at 08:18 pm

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Science has come up with findings both for absolute beauty and relative beauty.

A face with certain proportions has been shown to transcend cultural relativism and be seen as beautiful by people all around the world.

At the same time, in a study that showed 500 faces to 20,000 people, each face got picked as the most beautiful at least once.

This means that there is such a thing as absolute beauty: Beauty that cuts across tastes and cultures and appeals to all human beings. For this absolute beauty there is a mathematical formula. This shows that Romantic, Renaissance and Classical case for truth being found in beauty is a valid one. We see absolute beauty which is a function of mathematics, and which all "beholders" recognize as such. The existence of absolute beauty therefore validates the case that in beauty there is truth, as much as it demonstrates that not all forms of beauty are culturally determined.

The matter however does not end there. Besides absolute beauty, there is also relative beauty that is dependent on culture and taste. This means the following: That there is someone for everyone; and that people who are not seen as beautiful in their home place and time do not have to be relegated to a lonely or a degrading existence.

Indeed, the findings for absolute beauty and relative beauty validate the rightful claims of the sides in the debate while invalidating the wrong ones. The existence of absolute beauty means that the Romantic search for truth in beauty is valid, and that there is such a thing as beauty that transcends cultural relativism. The existence of relative beauty means that there is someone for everyone.

On the obverse: The existence of absolute beauty invalidates the abuse, by women of politically correct persuasion, against beautiful women and men who love beautiful women; and the existence of relative beauty invalidates the abuse by nasty high school cultures and families of young people who are not seen as beautiful in their hometown.

To combine: There is absolute beauty that transcends culture and society, which absolute beauty is expressed in the language of the universe that is mathematics; and there is relative, taste-dependent, beauty.

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty" is correct for absolute beauty, and beauty-related pursuits such as art and poetry can arrive at universal truth - truth which is now found to be expressible through mathematics.

And, from the other side: There is someone for everyone.

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matt stefanovich (not verified)

at 16:32 on January 14th, 2012

to talk about beauty and look of people is very useful and interesting. I myself, sometimes create certain definitions or practical boxes. for ex. beautiful people can not only bring esthetic experience or something ecstatitc- but also a feeling of cold or coldness. I felt for ex. that Madonna or Cher were good looking, maybe beautiful, but cold personalities. maybe Mata Hari was so succesful in "collecting information" from influential men, because she created a feeling of warmth or kindness. I loved the movie Deception, because there were beautiful people and two of the three had genuine feeling for each other {Ewan McGregor and the actress} when I remember a nanny that took care of me, when I was little, she was substitute for a dead granny was good looking even in her 5oties. from her example i have learned that good looking people do not have to be neccesarily good {she was good, though}, but usually are more sunny and happy than bad looking people. thats my opinion.

ishambat

at 14:33 on January 15th, 2012

I do not see why there would be a correlation - positive or negative - between beauty and character at all.

matt stefanovich (not verified)

at 11:58 on January 16th, 2012

well, depends how you look at it.. how do you define character ? my nanny was a good natured person.. good looking as well. bad looking people are usually not sunny people, sometimes they are disgusting. My dad two years before he died from a serious disease looked better and was more nice and friendly than Ron Paul, for ex.. I respect the looks of everyone, even this gentleman. it would be better . though if some people would concentrate on feeding pidgeons rather than public life. this was my way of explanation.