THL1501
ASSIGNMENT 2 2025
UNIQUE NO. 754430
DUE DATE: 17 APRIL 2025
, THL1501
Assignment 2 2025
Unique Number: 754430
Due Date: 17 April 2025
Introduction to Theory of Literature THL1501 Assignment 2 2025 (754430) - DUE
17 April 2025
Question 1 : The Objectivity of Beauty and Aesthetics
In her book Basic Issues in Aesthetics (1998), Marcia Eaton highlights the challenges
associated with defining the terms "beauty" and "aesthetics," acknowledging that these
concepts are often subjective, influenced by personal preferences, cultural
backgrounds, and societal contexts. While Eaton's argument focuses on the inherent
difficulties in providing a singular, universally accepted definition for these terms, it is
still possible to approach them objectively. This essay will argue that despite the
inherent subjectivity in aesthetic judgment, both "beauty" and "aesthetics" can be
defined objectively through careful philosophical analysis, cultural consensus, and
evolutionary theory.
Defining Beauty and Aesthetics
"Beauty" is commonly regarded as a quality that elicits a positive emotional response
from the viewer, often associated with pleasure, harmony, and balance. However, this is
where disagreements arise. A classic counterargument, as highlighted by Eaton, is the
claim that beauty is entirely in the eye of the beholder. In this view, what one person
finds beautiful, another may not, making beauty inherently subjective. However, to
suggest that beauty is purely subjective ignores the possibility of objective standards
rooted in shared human experiences and evolutionary biology. Evolutionary psychology
suggests that certain features, such as symmetry, can be universally recognized as
ASSIGNMENT 2 2025
UNIQUE NO. 754430
DUE DATE: 17 APRIL 2025
, THL1501
Assignment 2 2025
Unique Number: 754430
Due Date: 17 April 2025
Introduction to Theory of Literature THL1501 Assignment 2 2025 (754430) - DUE
17 April 2025
Question 1 : The Objectivity of Beauty and Aesthetics
In her book Basic Issues in Aesthetics (1998), Marcia Eaton highlights the challenges
associated with defining the terms "beauty" and "aesthetics," acknowledging that these
concepts are often subjective, influenced by personal preferences, cultural
backgrounds, and societal contexts. While Eaton's argument focuses on the inherent
difficulties in providing a singular, universally accepted definition for these terms, it is
still possible to approach them objectively. This essay will argue that despite the
inherent subjectivity in aesthetic judgment, both "beauty" and "aesthetics" can be
defined objectively through careful philosophical analysis, cultural consensus, and
evolutionary theory.
Defining Beauty and Aesthetics
"Beauty" is commonly regarded as a quality that elicits a positive emotional response
from the viewer, often associated with pleasure, harmony, and balance. However, this is
where disagreements arise. A classic counterargument, as highlighted by Eaton, is the
claim that beauty is entirely in the eye of the beholder. In this view, what one person
finds beautiful, another may not, making beauty inherently subjective. However, to
suggest that beauty is purely subjective ignores the possibility of objective standards
rooted in shared human experiences and evolutionary biology. Evolutionary psychology
suggests that certain features, such as symmetry, can be universally recognized as
