Topics Beauty

Question The phrase "inner beauty" is often used in popular writing. Is there a philosophical line of thought about what inner beauty is. In other words, do some philosophers maintain that there is a sort of beauty inside a thing that is distinct from whatever beauty that might exist in the exterior structure and symmetry and proportions of the thing?

Accepted:
October 20, 2011

Comments

I don't think they do, although colleagues may know of someone who does.

In fact, one might go further in challenging this popular notion of inner beauty and suggest that there is something very impressive about a beautiful person who is in fact rather evil. One is compelled to admire the outward appearance of the individual while at the same time deploring his or her character, involving appreciation of the formal qualities of beauty while understanding the vileness of the character. In some ways the gossip columns play on that, the fact that many of our most admired personalities are deeply flawed and yet breathtaking to look at.