If scientific fact informs our cultural standards (this is why according to anthropologists some cultural standards of beauty are universal), then living up to the scientific ideal of beauty can be harmful to one’s philosophical, if not physical health. Science gives us an explanation for what we think is beautiful, but science can be a bit of a trap as well. There’s a reason why you find these women attractive. Anthropologists and biologists determined that certain (supposedly universal) traits such as a woman’s waist-hip ratio are indicators of fertility, overall health, and cognitive capacity.ĭarwin observed beauty’s ornamental value in attracting an ideal mate. Our perception of beauty is nothing more than our sexual urges telling us who are suitable to have sex with. Susan Faludi writes that an “unblemished exterior becomes proof of a woman’s internal purity, obedience, and restraint.” (204)įor Freud, beauty, like all things, is linked to sex. This seems to be significantly relevant to the estimation of the beauty of a woman. Beauty is the physical reflection of a perfect God. Thomas Aquinas says “Beauty is the mark of the well-made, whether it be a universe or an object.” and that beautiful things have unity, clarity and proportion. To be beautiful, a living creature, and every whole made up of parts, must not only be present a certain order in its arrangement of parts, but also be of a definite magnitude. Plato said beauty is found in proper measure and size.

Whether we’re looking at a statue of the Venus de Milo, the zaftig models of Peter Paul Rubens, Marilyn Monroe, the 1970s Breck Girl, or modern-day supermodels, beauty has always been defined as unblemished, youthful, and feminine.īeauty, from the ancient philosophers to Leonardo da Vinci placed beauty in symmetry, form, balance, and proportion. If you know who this is you probably don’t spend too much time studying philosophy Most people would say that if someone is considered to be “hot” that one possesses physical beauty that is, one’s face and body are pleasing to look at. Well, that answer depends on who you ask.

This brings us to that age-old question what is beauty. Wait, Demi Moore isn’t as old as Helen Mirren is she?īut really, even if we don’t consider Sharon Osbourne’s age, is it just Sharon Osbourne’s looks that keep her from being considered hot? Besides, plenty of women of a certain age are considered hot: Helen Mirren, Susan Sarandon, and Demi Moore to name a few. So why Sharon Osbourne isn’t considered “hot”? It can’t be just because of her age. These are all positive qualities and certainly each quality is hot in its own right. I don’t know how Sharon Osbourne would feel about this, but reading the response to the suggestion made me feel kind of sad.Īfter all, Sharon Osbourne is a smart, capable, and savvy businesswoman. Well, someone else responded to the suggestion (to include Sharon Osbourne) that although Sharon Osbourne is badass and married to Ozzy Osbourne (which technically makes her a rock wife), she’s not exactly what you would call “hot”.ĭerivation style, the response would look like this:

Spongebob road to nowhere ozzy osbourne