The Physical Self and Concepts of Beauty

Practice flashcards covering the definitions of the physical self, various psychological and philosophical perspectives on the body, and the subjective versus objective nature of beauty.

Physical Self (Sanjay Singh)

Refers to the body as a marvelous container and complex, finely timed machine with which people interface with the environment and fellow beings.

William James' Perspective

The body is the primary source of sensations and is necessary for the development and maintenance of one’s personality.

Sigmund Freud's Perspective

The physical body is the core of human experiences which contributes to the construction of the self and personality.

Wilhelm Reich's Perspective

The core of a person’s existence is his/her physical body, where everything about a person is attributed to bodily functions, experiences, and environmental interaction.

Erik Erikson's Perspective

Physical changes to the body and individual experiences impact psychosocial development and personal identity.

Carl Gustav Jung's Perspective

The physical body is an integral part of the psyche and cannot be separated from it.

B.F. Skinner's Perspective

The significance of the body in psychological functioning and its role in managing and utilizing bioenergy.

Objective Beauty

The view that beauty is an inherent quality of an object, supported by philosophers like Saint Augustine, Plato, and Aristotle.

Subjective Beauty

The view that beauty exists merely in the mind of the perceiver, supported by philosophers like David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Francis Hutcheson.

Saint Augustine of Hippo's view on Beauty

Considered a pure manifestation of the good, with God as the source; he examined negative forms as the absence of metaphysical, moral, and physical beauty.

Plato's view on Beauty

A response to love and desire that exists in the world of Forms; objects are beautiful because they reflect the idea of beauty independent of the perceiver.

Aristotle's view on Beauty

Beauty is a whole made up of parts presenting a certain order, symmetry, and definitiveness that can be measured through mathematical sciences.

The Golden Ratio

A formula of beauty consisting of a set of proportions found in nature and applied by man to all manner of visual culture.

David Hume's view on Beauty

Beauty is no quality in things themselves; it exists merely in the mind which contemplates them, with each mind perceiving a different beauty.

Immanuel Kant's view on Beauty

The judgment of taste is aesthetical and subjective, characterized by being disinterested, universal, necessary, and purposive without purpose.

Francis Hutcheson's view on Beauty

The perception of beauty operates as an internal or reflex sense involving both internal and external senses.

Cognitive Bias

An error in reasoning, evaluating, or mental processes often resulting from holding onto preferences or beliefs regardless of contrary information.

Halo Effect

A physical attractiveness stereotype where individuals believe that what is beautiful is also good.

Evolutionary Psychology view on Beauty

Attractiveness is a function of an individual's genetic quality, influenced by factors like symmetry, averageness, and sexually dimorphic traits.

Self-esteem

Refers to a person’s beliefs about his or her own worth and value, often associated with self-confidence.

Body Image

The way one sees the physical self and the thoughts and feelings that result from that perception.