Philosophy Beauty is not Morality - 1395 Words

Throughout history, beauty has been seen as a value to humans. Beauty practices start as far back as foot binding and continues up to today with cosmetic surgeries such as liposuction. On every billboard, magazine, and commercial citizens are reminded that they are not as physically attractive as they could be and there is a solutions to their problem. In his analysis of beauty, Kant states that beauty is morality. Despite the fact physical beauty is highly valued in society, it is not the driving factor when it comes to determining morality and making ethical judgments. To support this, I will be introducing Aristotle’s virtue ethics and David Hume’s A Treatise of Human Nature to demonstrate that beauty is independent of virtue and does†¦show more content†¦One must be accountable for his or her actions as he or she is in control of them. He continues, â€Å". . . we are masters of our actions from the beginning right to the end, if we know the particular f acts, but though we control the beginning of our states of character the gradual progress is not obvious, any more than it is in illness; because it was in our power . . . to act in this way or not . . therefore the states are voluntary.† Aristotle explains that humans makes decisions of how to behave meaning they have control over their actions. Because actions are voluntary, a virtuous individual must be accountable for their actions, good or bad, in order to be truly virtuous. Humans still live by this principle today. Parents punish their kids when they behave badly in order to teach them that their behavior was bad and that they need to take responsibility for their actions. On a larger scale, humans have a judiciary system set in place to punish those that act immorally and do not take responsibility for their actions. In Kant’s argument, he states that beauty is virtue, however, Aristotle disproves Kant stating that virtue is defined by one’s actions and the responsibility taken for those actions as they are voluntary. Beauty is not an action let alone an action that is voluntary. IfShow MoreRelatedThe Picture of Dorian Grey, by Oscar Wilde771 Words   |  4 Pagesstandards? With ideal appearances and superficial beauty, a decorated life can seem easier and more luxurious than a moral life. Leading a moral life is not as appealing to most people; and is filled with hardships and trouble over â€Å"doing the right thing†. One quality cannot be held without losing the other, due to their conflicting natures. While the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray brings out the central question â€Å"Is it better to pursue Aesthetics or Morality?† it describes the life of Dorian Gray, whoRead MoreKant : The Father Of Enlightenment1071 Words   |  5 Pagesdeeply rooted in tradition. 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