The idea of beauty is rooted in ancient Greek philosophy. Plato argues that the human soul aspires to attain a state of ‘perfection’ and thus is in a state of ‘beauty’. A strictly Platonic account of beauty does not convey the significance of significant conceptions of beauty, which are based on sensuality. Nevertheless, Plato’s ideas on beauty are still very relevant today.
Historically, beauty has been defined as “a desirable property of something or an individual”. However, nowadays, the term has been applied to different types of art, including architecture and sculpture. Aesthetic value is a concept that is not easily expressed, and it can be different from one culture to another. But while aesthetic value may vary from one culture to another, beauty is always perceived as a quality that appeals to human senses and aesthetic faculties.
In some cultures, beauty is associated with symmetry. When a piece of art has symmetrical faces, the result is an aesthetic object. This aspect can be reflected in the symmetry of the parts. The colour of the objects can also be attractive. Regardless of the medium used to create art, the aesthetic value of each object will be different. If beauty is a subjective attribute, it is possible that the standards are not the same in different cultures.
The scientific approach to aesthetics has taken two forms. Psychological aesthetics uses experimental methods to study the process of appreciation. In this way, it attempts to determine the laws of beauty by the consensus of subject responses. While Fechner interpreted art through an omnium-gatherum view, later psychologists saw the term as having objectivist-formalist connotations. But despite these differences, von Balthasar’s work has been embraced by the majority of Christian thinkers.