Perception of Beauty Essay Example for Free

Perception of Beauty Essay The term ‘beauty’ is used in multiple contexts. These can be divided into ‘inner beauty’, describing a goodness of personality, and ‘outer beauty’, concerned with aesthetic appearance. On the surface, disfigurement affects outer beauty, but it has been found that changes in appearance can cause anxiety, depression, grief, and a lowered self-esteem. These strongly affect a person’s disposition. Thus, defects in outer beauty can indirectly alter inner beauty. How do human beings decide who is attractive and who is not? Society is full of messages telling us what is beautiful, but what are those definitions based on? Do we consciously decide whom we are attracted to? The issue of beauty and how we define it has been studied for centuries. Scholars from all fields of study have searched for the formula for beauty. Darwin in his book â€Å"The Descent of Man† wrote, It is certainly not true that there is in the mind of man any universal standard of beauty with respect to the human body. It is however, possible that certain tastes in the course of time become inherited, though I have no evidence in favor of this belief. Beauty is an idea. Everybodys idea of beauty is unique. Beauty is a function of culture also. When ideas about beauty make powerful impacts, they can become beauty ideals. What is ideal beauty? We see it everywhere, from paintings, to magazines to TV. Douglas Yu of the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, agrees. Its true by definition. Beauty is always judged by the receiver, he says. At the same time, he says in an email there is inter-observer concordance, a measure of objectivity, so that individual perceptions of beauty, factoring in other characteristics such as personality and intelligence, can often be aggregated to form a consensus opinion. Judgment of Beauty According to Kant, the judgment of beauty is different from cognitive or moral judgment because it is affected subjectively, that is, exclusively in reference to the person making the judgment. For a judgment to be truly â€Å"aesthetic†, rather than merely idiosyncratic, the person making the judgment must be adamant that their opinion be consensus. â€Å"A person who describes something as beautiful insists that everyone ought to give the object in question his approval and follow suit. Plato, one of the earliest philosophers to concern himself with beauty, defined it as a â€Å"property intrinsic in objects† which could be measured in â€Å"purity, integrity, harmony and perfection. † Media and Perception of Beauty Research shows that media play a dominant role in influencing females’ perceptions of the world around them, as well as helping them to define their sense of self. The media can definitely change our perception of beauty. It can indeed create a distortion in what a person considers to be ideal beauty or not. It is proven that those that are under the influence of media, either the TV or Print media may unsavorily change what is their idea of beauty by wanting to measure up the ideal or standard portrayed by the media. Another major influence on this centurys attitudes towards beauty was the growth of the film industry. For the first half of the century, all the major beauty icons were film actresses. It was a medium that allowed women who would have previously been overlooked to shine. For instance, the 19th century aversion to redheads was still in place as late as the 20s. It was that black-and-white medium that allowed Clara Bow to be the exception. However, stars such as Bette Davis and Katherine Turner who could not be described as â€Å"conventionally beautiful† invariably came from middle or upper class backgrounds. Beauty was an essential attribute for a working class woman to become successful in Hollywood. This period was also the beginning of the ties between the film and fashion industries, which would continue for decades to come. References Journal of Young Investigators Undergraduate, Peer-Reviewed Science Journal http://www. jyi. org/volumes/volume6/issue6/features/feng. html Utah Education Network  http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=4527

Intellectual Property and Internet Piracy Essay -- Exploratory Essays

Intellectual Property and Internet Piracy With the emergence of the Internet, intellectual property faces a new dimension of crisis. Intellectual property has become an even more significant issue because of that. According to World Intellectual Property Organization, â€Å"Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce.† (WIPO 2003) Works online are easy to be copied/reproduced or altered such as art work, software, and articles. Although piracy has existed for a long time, the Internet has made piracy never been easier with a click of mouse. In the following paragraphs will explore issues regarding piracy and ownership, solution to the crisis of intellectual property, and the paradox of invention of new technology. Intellectual property has become much more difficult to maintain because of the enormous capacity of the Internet which is mainly self-regulated and promotes freedom of speech. Art works whether it is an image, a song, or a movie can be easily uploaded and downloaded on the Internet. For example, MP3 files compress music files into a small file thereby allowing users to upload and download much more rapidly and effortlessly. Music-swapping not only not realizing music artists’ efforts and have caused the music industry loose huge amount of record selling and decrease their profits. Remember the infamous Napster lawsuit where Napster was being sued for its copyright infringement. Furthermore, not only software can be downloaded from the Internet, the registration codes can also be cracked down, therefore, people can use the software as long as they like instead of using the trial version. People ... ...cyberlaw/archives/11_02_decoy.htm>, consulted on November 24, 2003. * The Massachusetts Daily Collegian (2003). â€Å"Today: the solution to music piracy surfaces†. Online at: , consulted on November 24, 2003. * GameSpy Industries (2003). â€Å"Software Piracy Report: Part 1†. Online at: , consulted on November 10, 2003. * CCIPS (2003). â€Å"Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS): Protecting Intellectual Property Rights: Copyrights, Trademarks and Trade Secrets†. Online at: , consulted on November 10, 2003. * CNN.com (2003). â€Å"Napster shutdown seen as potential boon for competitors†. Online at: , consulted on November 20, 2003. Intellectual Property and Internet Piracy Essay -- Exploratory Essays Intellectual Property and Internet Piracy With the emergence of the Internet, intellectual property faces a new dimension of crisis. Intellectual property has become an even more significant issue because of that. According to World Intellectual Property Organization, â€Å"Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce.† (WIPO 2003) Works online are easy to be copied/reproduced or altered such as art work, software, and articles. Although piracy has existed for a long time, the Internet has made piracy never been easier with a click of mouse. In the following paragraphs will explore issues regarding piracy and ownership, solution to the crisis of intellectual property, and the paradox of invention of new technology. Intellectual property has become much more difficult to maintain because of the enormous capacity of the Internet which is mainly self-regulated and promotes freedom of speech. Art works whether it is an image, a song, or a movie can be easily uploaded and downloaded on the Internet. For example, MP3 files compress music files into a small file thereby allowing users to upload and download much more rapidly and effortlessly. Music-swapping not only not realizing music artists’ efforts and have caused the music industry loose huge amount of record selling and decrease their profits. Remember the infamous Napster lawsuit where Napster was being sued for its copyright infringement. Furthermore, not only software can be downloaded from the Internet, the registration codes can also be cracked down, therefore, people can use the software as long as they like instead of using the trial version. People ... ...cyberlaw/archives/11_02_decoy.htm>, consulted on November 24, 2003. * The Massachusetts Daily Collegian (2003). â€Å"Today: the solution to music piracy surfaces†. Online at: , consulted on November 24, 2003. * GameSpy Industries (2003). â€Å"Software Piracy Report: Part 1†. Online at: , consulted on November 10, 2003. * CCIPS (2003). â€Å"Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS): Protecting Intellectual Property Rights: Copyrights, Trademarks and Trade Secrets†. Online at: , consulted on November 10, 2003. * CNN.com (2003). â€Å"Napster shutdown seen as potential boon for competitors†. Online at: , consulted on November 20, 2003.

War Is One Of The Biggest Atrocities That Man Must Commit

After looking through the slideshow for this portion of the class I felt a mixture of sadness and hope, disgust and inspiration, confusion and clarity. These images bounce back and forth from a crying child to one who has had access to medical attention, a naked child screaming in terror in the streets to an image of the same woman as an adult, happy and healthy. War is one of the biggest atrocities that man must commit but at the same time people are never as beautiful or as courageous as when they are in the midst of crisis.Take the picture of the Young Beggar’s in Saigon for example. This picture is bittersweet. It is extremely sad but also really beautiful. The infant in the box makes me want to weep but I am comforted by the fact that these two young people are holding hands. They have each other. If nothing else these two have that little human contact that will make their situation bearable. Other examples of this include the shoeshine boys who have congregated together to form a young Saigon gang. Is this an ideal picture, no, but it is real.These children may have to grow up quickly but they have each other and they are living the only childhood they will ever know. But then there are photos of the young victims of war, bombing victims and women trying to smuggle her children out of the war zone. These are not pretty pictures but again they illustrate the beauty of the human spirit. Could I appreciate life if I had never seen with my own eyes the sadness of a life taken too soon? Could anyone ever know real strength and courage if they had never felt the tinges of fear?There were other pictures that were slightly confusing, such as the photo of the US Marine giving the young girl a cigarette. At first I thought, â€Å"Why would he give such a young child a cigarette? † But then I realized it was because that was all this soldier had to give. I am sure that being an American, used to children having the right to grow up healthy and safe, m akes it difficult to see children growing up in the midst of a war zone. It makes one want to â€Å"rescue† each other. And again that is admirable. Look at the girls face in that photo. She is radiant. She is the lightness in an otherwise bleak world.In response, I really don’t know who the â€Å"good† guys are and who the â€Å"bad† guys are in these photos. And truly I don’t know that it matters. I was truck by the strength and beauty that was represented here. Look at the faces in these pictures and you see strength, perseverance, tradition and even love. For example, look at the woman in the photo A Vietnamese Woman, the trials and tribulations of life are etched all over her face. Ultimately these photos represent the good and the bad, the yin and yang of humanity. For some strange reason man does not appreciate life until life is taken away.And unfortunately the world is a better place after we have had to clean up the rubble of war and huma n greed. Somehow in the midst of destruction we find the strength to help each other, pick up where we left off. Yet, when all is well in the world we get greedy and seek to destroy. These images are timeless. Despite our disgust at seeing a young child tortured we, as a race, will continue to commit these crimes. Maybe as a species man has self destructive tendencies. Maybe we can only appreciate the beauty of life when we see the ugliness in death.

Uncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe - 1430 Words

This book s author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, was born in 1811 in Litchfield, Connecticut. She was the daughter of a Calvinist minister. She and her family were all devout Christians; her father was a preacher and her siblings followed. Her Christian attitude reflected her attitude towards slavery. She was for abolishing it, because to her, it was a very non-Christian and cruel institution. Her book focused on the ghastly points of slavery, including the whippings, beatings, and sexual harassment brought upon slaves by their masters. She wrote the book to be a force against slavery, and was joining in with the feelings of many other women of her time, who all became more outspoken and influential in reform movements, including things such as women s suffrage. The main point of Uncle Tom s Cabin was to bring light to slavery to people in the north. In this, she hoped to eventually sway people against slavery. Uncle Tom s Cabin focuses on the lives of two slaves, who both start under the ownership of a Mr. Shelby, who is known to treat his slaves well. However, Mr. Shelby was in the debt of a man named Haley, who is a slave trader. In return for the debt owed to him, Haley wants two slaves: one being the son of a beautiful mulatto woman named Eliza, the other being the devout Christian named Tom, who is nicknamed Father Tom because of his sermons. Eliza is also a Christian, as are the rest of the slaves on Mr. Shelby s farm. Eliza loves her son dearly, and rather thanShow MoreRelatedUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe901 Words   |  4 PagesHarriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a story that described the real life plight of an American Slave. Kentucky farmer George Shelby amassed enormous debts and faces the possibility of losing everything he owns. To settle his debts he makes the decision to sell two of his slaves, Uncle Tom and Eliza’s son Harry. Eliza is a young, beautiful quadroon girl who George Shelby’s wife took on as a daughter. Eliza overhears a conversation between George Shelby and his wife concerning the impendingRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe Essay1351 Words   |  6 PagesIn Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe uses the character of Augustine St. Clare to play a very important role in expressing her views of abolition to the reader throughout the novel. St. Clare is, in himself, a huge contradiction of a character, as his way of life is supported by the same system that he despises, slavery. St. Clare professes multiple times in the book that slavery is wrong, yet he holds slaves and refuses to release them, making him a hypocrite whose morals are right, mainlyRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe1295 Words   |  6 PagesUncle Tom’s Cabin, one of the best classic novels by Harriet Beecher Stowe takes place in Kentucky on Mr. Shelby’s land. I n Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the author communicates to the reader the horrific actions and aftermaths of slavery. She does this by telling the story of slaves who were sold to unpleasant masters, showing slavery rips apart families and loved ones, and by showing how children - both free and slave - are affected by slavery. In Uncle Tom’s Cabin a main point to take away from the bookRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe1008 Words   |  5 PagesIn the 1800’s,a horrible sin of slavery took America by storm. Africans were brought to the United States as slaves. They were sold like animals, separated from their families, and forced to work for wealthy white men. They underwent torture, famine, and verbal abuse, the sole reason for their mistreatment being their skin color. Movements were made, protests held, but what no one was expecting was a short white lady by the name of Harriet Beecher Stowe to make the change that no one had yet achievedRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe1522 Words   |  7 PagesLincoln is quoted as saying, â€Å"So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.† upon meeting Harriet Beecher Stowe for the first time. The book that the former president is referring to is Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a 1850s book about the moral wrongs of slavery. It has been said to be the most influential anti-slavery book that has ever been written. Harriet Beecher Stowe is an effective author. She uses numerous literary devices such as facile characters, character foils, and symbolismRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe1357 Words   |  6 PagesUncle Tom’s cabin Uncle Tom s Cabin from the author Harriet Beecher Stowe, was first published in 1852 was a book that tackled the repulsive acts of slavery. In this paper I will discuss my overview and opinion on this book. It is clear if you have a general idea of this book you would know how to this novel ultimately inspired the civil war. As said by our 16th Abraham Lincoln when he met the author â€Å"so you’re the women who brought this Great War† Uncle Tom’s cabin has had a great influence onRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe975 Words   |  4 PagesThere are numerous likenesses and contrasts between the lives of the slaves from Uncle Tom s Cabin, composed by Harriet Beecher Stowe, and that of the wage slaves from Sinclair s The Jungle. Featured mutually in each books, was slavery. Along with that, both novels allocate the authors’ perspectives on the issue. In Sinclair’s book, he wrote about the lives of the wage slaves, how capitalism aff ected the wage slaves. Meanwhile, Stowe’s consisted more on a religious aspect, going in depth of howRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe1019 Words   |  5 PagesUncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe is â€Å"one of the most famous books in the world† she is considered to be the woman that started the civil war. This book presents Anti-slavery ideas using Religion, Maternity and the idea of Gender Roles to promote the idea of Anti-Slavery. Throughout Uncle Tom’s Cabin there are â€Å"slave problems†,how slavery destroys and crumble families by splitting apart mother and child along with husband and wive.Stowe argues that these slavery brings out the femininityRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe1760 Words   |  8 PagesHarriet Beecher Stowe was born in June 14, 1811 in Lichfield, CT and was the sixth of her family’s eleven children. Beecher’s parents taught their children that their primary life goal was to make their mark. All seven sons became ministers, Isabella (the youngest) founded the National Women’s Suffrage Association, and Harriet revealed the horrifying truths and dissolved the social injustice of slavery. During her 85 years Beecher published thirty novels, but her bestselling book Uncle Tom’s CabinRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe Essay1090 Words   |  5 PagesUncle Tom’s Cabin was the most popular story in the mid to late 19th century. There are nearly thousands of copies of that novel sold. The author Harriet Beecher Stowe was an amazing author and abolitionist. The purpose of her writing Uncle Tom’s Cabin is to influence other people to abolish slavery. Uncle Tom’s Cabin was based on Religion and the abolition of slavery. Uncle Tom’s Cabin was epic story in the mid 1800’s because it represents the cruelty of slavery and religious beliefs. Stowe kind