Notes from The School of Life, “Why You Should Never say ‘Beauty Lies in the Eye of the Beholder’"

Relativism

The phrase 'beauty lies in the eye of the beholder' supports the belief that since notions of beauty lie outside of scientific proof, that means beauty is entirely relative. But this is not true. Not all tastes are equal. We accept that there are legitimate tastes within a spectrum, but we don't actually think all tastes are equal. Is a garbage dump as beautiful as flower garden? We have background aesthetic principles, even if we don't articulate them. 


Lack of Confidence

The phrase originally came about to protect ordinary people against snobbery and intolerance. but the freedom to think and feel as we like is now enshrined in modern society. Yet, the phrase is perpetuated because many people lack confidence about our own tastes. A neutral stance on aesthetics is more a symptom of tentative taste than a true commitment to relativism. 

Beauty Matters

Beauty matters, but the phrase trivializes it. The phrase allows property developers to be cash-conscious without any consideration for appearance of the buildings they build. A culture that can't talk sensibly about beauty will inadvertently condemn itself to ugliness.

 Article Link: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/why-you-should-never-say-beauty-lies-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/ (PAYWALL)

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