Varying forms of what could best be described as peer pressure have also led to the skewing of the perceptions of beauty over the ages; whether one is looking at the popular fads that have grabbed the attention (and wallets) of young people probably for as long as young people have gathered together in groups, or the adult ideas of beauty that spring from something such as nice clothing, a fine horse or in modern times a new vehicle with all of the best features, the influence of others has led people to follow a preconceived notion of beauty and the lack of beauty as well.
Can Morality be Attached to Beauty?
Just as cultural mores can and have led to perceptions of beauty or the lack of beauty for as long as the human race has existed, and the morality imposed on humans by the organized religions of the world, morality itself can be attached to beauty as shown by some remarkable modern day examples.
Academic studies have shown in terms of physical beauty, in the field of criminology for example, that when shown photographs of "beautiful people" who were in fact criminals, in comparison to innocent people who did not possess beauty, the more beautiful people were believed to be the innocent individuals, when in fact the exact opposite was true (Burke). In other words, in this instance, the concept of morality was automatically associated with the presence of beauty. For these individuals, beauty did in fact equate itself with purity and goodness, as well as the opposite case. Another example of this is the current culture obsessed with handsome or pretty celebrities to the point where...
Those things or people that are pleasing to the eye or the senses are automatically deemed as beautiful, and this positive association gives them an implied air of morality, and in fact the opposite in many situations applies. This is as much to do with the ancient morality instilled in the human conscience as it is with today's image-conscious popular culture.
Conclusions
This essay has taken a close look at many facets of beauty and its associations to morality, senses and interpretations. In closing, there is one more important theory to consider- without the ideal of beauty to which to aspire, much of the motivation in the human heart- to create, to achieve, and to love others- may never exist. Without these ideals, the world as it is may never have existed, so finally, it may be fairly said that beauty is the essence of all that exists.
Works Cited
Burke, William. "A Note on the Relationship of Beauty and Peace." International Journal of Humanities and Peace 17.1 (2001): 53.
Gimlin, Debra L. Body Work: Beauty and Self-Image in American Culture. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2002.
Lane, Belden C. "Jonathan Edwards on Beauty, Desire and the Sensory World." Theological Studies 65.1 (2004): 44+.
Beauty
