MODULE 1 LESSON 2

                                          MODULE 6:  THE PHYSICAL SELF

Lesson 8 & 9                     :  What Philosophers think about beauty?

                      What did Psychology discover about beauty? 

Learning Outcomes         :    At the end of the learning module, the student is expected to:
1.  Discuss the different representations and conceptualizations
of the self from various disciplinal perspectives;
2.  Compare and contrast how the self has been represented
across different disciplines and perspectives;
3.  Examine the different influences, factors, and forces that
shape the self; and;
4.  Demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing the
development of one’s self and identity by developing a theory
of the self.

Reference(s)                    :   Otig V.S., Gallinero, W. B., Bataga, N. U., Salado, F. B. (2018).
A 
                                               holitic approach in understanding The Self. Mutya Publishing
House, Inc.
                                             
Concept/Digest            :  ( Read and study the concept, you can even add more 
                                                    information. Just search in the Google Website for each
topic)

               We are living in a world where the material and immaterial self are both
represented. How is that possible? Thanks to the advances in technology, we do not only live
in a physical world, we also have virtual reality. How do you view yourself in both worlds?
     Society shapes us in many ways, possibly more than we realize it. This involves:
 How we perceive our bodies visually;
 How we feel about our physical appearance;
 How we think and talk to ourselves about our bodies; and
 Our sense of how the other people view our bodies.
    The current embedded idea of what is attractive, beautiful, or handsome is an unrealistic
image, which is generally impossible for many of us to emulate. This unrealistic image is
continually driven into our minds by the media through ads, movies, and tv shows. The media
is a very powerful tool in reinforcing cultural beliefs and values. Although it is not fully
responsible for determining the standards for physical attractiveness, it makes escaping the
barrage of images and attitudes almost impossible to escape.
    A positive view of “self” involves understanding that healthy, attractive bodies come in
many shapes and sizes, and that physical appearance says very little about our character or
value as a person.
    We have to strive to know ourselves beyond our preconceived ideas of who we are.

Instructions 1:  Make the best presentation of yourself through a moviemaker/powerpoint

presentation emphasizing what your physical body can do to enhancing and maintaining your
beauty and good health.

Instructions 2: Submit the self-presentation video attached in Module #6. The presentation
must be not less than 1 minute and not more than 4 minutes.

                               
                               

Focus Activity:    “Think-Pair-Share”

nstructions 1:   You are tasked to pair with a chatmate, and share your thoughts on:
 1. What is beauty? Beauty is something that can build up confidence
and can also ruin someone’s life. It can ruin in the sense that it can
make someone be blind by beauty.

2. How is beauty appreciated through time and culture? Cite an

example. Some Filipino’s believed that the lighter the colour of the
skin, the prettier the girl is. I believe it is an example of racism by the
fact that you are not considered pretty if you have dark skin.

Instructions 2:    Write your reflection on the space provided in bullet forms. (5 phrases)
1. “ Everyone is unique”
2. “ Every person has different perspective of what beauty really is.”
3. “ No one can truly define beauty”
4. “ Beauty must be felt, with heart.
5. “ As long as you grow, you are beautiful”

    Every person is unique. Our individual experiences and memories tie together to form our versions
of beauty. We have different sizes, shapes, colors, heritage, and roles. Hence, our body is simply a
shell that allows us to radiate our experiences where beauty gets to shine through. No culture, no
company, or concept could ever truly define beauty. As what Helen Keller said “The best and most
beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.”

WHAT PHILOSOPHERS THINK ABOUT BEAUTY?

    The nature of beauty is one of the most enduring and controversial themes in western
philosophy. Beauty, traditionally, was among the ultimate values along with goodness, truth,
and justice. It was a primary theme among ancient Greek, Hellenistic, and medieval
philosophers; it was central to the eighteenth and nineteenth century thought. By the
beginning of the twentieth century, beauty was in decline as a subject of philosophical
inquiry. However, there were signs of revived interest by the early 2000s.
   
    The two most-debated views about beauty are:
1. Beauty is objective.
2. Beauty is subjective.

    Before the 18 century, most Western philosophical views on beauty treated it as an
th

objective quality. For example:

  St. Augustine asked whether things where beautiful because it gave delight, or
whether it gave delight because it was beautiful. He believed it to be the latter.
 Plato connected beauty as a response to love and desire. He asserted that
beauty exists in the realm of Forms, and that objects are found beautiful
because they are a reflection of the idea of beauty that already exist in the
realm of Forms.
 Aristotle asserted that the chief forms of beauty are order, symmetry, and
definiteness that can be demonstrated by mathematical sciences.

    By the eighteenth century, however, beauty was associated with pleasure as a personal
preference. Some philosophers who hold this view are:
 David Hume – “Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in
the mind which contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different
beauty. One person may even perceive deformity, where another is sensible of
beauty; and every individual ought to acquiesce in his own sentiment, without
pretending to regulate those of others” (Hume 1757, 136).
 Immanuel Kant – “The judgment of taste is therefore not a judgment of
cognition, and is consequently not logical but aesthetical, by which we
understand that whose determining ground can be no other than subjective”
(Kant 1790, section).
 Francis Hutcheson – “The perception of beauty does depend on the external
sense of sight; however, the internal sense of beauty operates as an internal or
reflex sense. The same is the case with hearing: hearing music does not
necessarily give the perception of harmony as it is distinct from the hearing”
(Inquiry I. I. X.).

WHAT DID PSYCHOLOGY DISCOVER ABOUT BEAUTY?

    Research found that a person who is perceived as attractive makes more money than a
person of below-average looks. In politics, voters who are not actively engaged in social and
political issues choose candidates based on “looks” 90% of the time.
   
    These study results can be attributed to a cognitive bias called the “halo effect.” A
cognitive bias is an error in reasoning, evaluating, remembering, or any other mental process
that is often a result of holding on to one’s preferences and beliefs regardless of contrary
information. The halo effect (also known as the physical attractiveness stereotype and the
“what is beautiful is good” principle) refers to the tendency of people to rate attractive
individuals more favorably for their personality traits or characteristics as compared to those
who are less attractive.
 
    Meanwhile, evolutionary psychology found that faces hold certain fundamental and
important characteristics that could indicate a person’s quality as a romantic partner and as a
mate. Among the most important and consistent factors in facial attractiveness are structural
qualities of the face. These structural qualities are also sex-typical. For example, in the eyes
of the female experimental participants, an attractive man is generally one with relatively
prominent cheekbones and eyebrow ridges and a relatively long lower face. Meanwhile, male
raters generally found women to be attractive with prominent cheekbones, large eyes, small
nose, a taller forehead, smooth skin, and an overall young or even childlike appearance.

    Our hormones sculpt our faces. These sex-typical facial features of adult men and women
are the result of the testosterone to estrogen ratio or estrogen to testosterone, respectively,
acting on the individual during development. We are programmed to be drawn to strong
indicators of maleness (for women) and femaleness (for men) partly because they reflect an
individual’s health (Fink & Penton-Voak, 2002).

HOW CULTURAL TRADITIONS SHAPE BODY IMAGE

    Culture has a significant impact on how a person feels about himself or herself, as well as
his or her body image. Cultural traditions can either be a positive or a negative influence on
body image and on self-esteem. Body image is generally defined as how one thinks and feels
toward one’s body (Yam, 2013; Cash & Smolak, 2011).

    People see cultural group membership as an integral part of who they are. Hence, they are
more likely to engage in events and behaviors that are related to their culture – choose
friends, media, and even marital partners from their culture (Yam, 2013; Yeh & Huang,
1996). When “culture” is experienced as a personally meaningful activity, it is difficult for a
person to resist the conscious and unconscious ways that culture influences a person’s life.
    For example, ideal standards of body sizes are culturally specific. Since the 1960’s, ideal
body sizes for American women have emphasized thinness (Yam, 2013; Fallon, 1990;
Wiseman, Gray, Mosimann, & Ahrens, 1992). The Philippines is undoubtedly influenced by
Western culture, particularly American culture; a culture that generally tends to hyper-focus
on dieting and body appearance. Digitally retouched photos are the norm, and this mentality
can negatively influence a person’s body image. A study reported that young Filipino women
were dissatisfied with their bodies that possibly stemmed from unreasonable weight concerns
and extreme drive for thinness (Torres, 2012).

DOES YOUR BODY IMAGE HAVE AN IMPACT ON YOUR SELF-ESTEEM?

    The term self-esteem was coined by William James in 1800. James presented self-esteem
as the number of successes a person achieves in the domains of life that are important to him
or her, divided by the number of failures that occurred in those areas (The Corsini
Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science, 2002). In the 1960s, behavioral
scientists defined self-esteem in terms of an attitude concerning one’s worth as a person
(Rosenberg, 1965). Self-esteem is important because it can affect your mental health as well
as how you behave.

    Body image is how you view your physical body, whether you feel you are attractive, and
how you feel some other people like your looks. For many people (especially teenagers) body
image is closely linked to self-esteem.
     If you have a positive body image, you probably like and accept yourself the way you are,
even if you do not fit the popular notion of “beautiful” or “handsome”. This healthy attitude
allows you to explore some other aspects of growing up, such as developing good
friendships, becoming more independent from your parents, and challenging yourself
physically and mentally. Developing these parts of yourself can help boost your self-esteem.

HOW IMPORTANT IS PHYSICAL BEAUTY?

    Physical beauty is extremely important. You must also understand that you need to
know the correct definition of physical beauty so that your self-esteem will not suffer. The
dictionary’s definition of beauty is, “the degree to which a person’s physical traits are
considered pleasing or beautiful.” Take note that the definition did not indicate “who”
determines what type of physical traits is attractive and unattractive. Why? Because even
though physical beauty is extremely important, the good news is that physical beauty
standards differ from one person to another.

    A self-image problem happens when your looks do not match your beauty standards. For
example, if you believe that being thin is sexy and attractive, yet you are not thin then you
might believe you are unattractive.

    The problem here is with your own beauty standards and not with your looks. To have a
positive self-image and a higher self-esteem you must fix your false beliefs about physical
attractiveness first.

Instructions 1: Match the descriptions in column A with the concepts/theorists in column B.

Write only the letter of your choice before each number.

            COLUMN A

____C. 1. It is an error in reasoning, evaluating, or remembering.
____B. ___2. It is about how you value yourself.
______E.__ 3. It is generally defined as how one thinks and feels toward one’s body.
______D. __ 4. This philosopher states that, “Beauty exists merely in the mind…”
___A.____ 5. He asserted that forms of beauty are order, symmetry, and definiteness that can be
demonstrated by mathematical sciences.

            COLUMN B

A. Aristotle
B. Body image
 C. Cognitive bias
D. Hume
E. Kant
F. Self-esteem

Instructions 2: Essay. Answer as honestly as you can.

1. How do you personally define beauty?

Personally , I define beauty on how simply the thing or the human is. Why?
In simple things, we can surely define the beauty of an artwork. We can say that it is a
great art piece by just showing the simplicity of it. Just like in girls, I preferred those
who just wears a light make up. Who wears simple dresses. Not those who wears
clown make ups covering their whole beauty.

2. Do you think you are “beautiful”? What are your bases why you consider yourself as
beautiful?

I consider myself a beautiful one because I am made in image and likeness of

God, and there’s nothing more that beautiful than the one created by the God. Beside,
if I think I am not beautiful, its just like I mocked the creation of God. By this, I can
build up my self-esteem and confidence where I can use to live and to go to school.
Knowing that you are enough is also a sign of being contented by your beauty. But, I
don’t mocked those who undergoes self/physical enhancement by the use of
technology and surgery. It is their way to attain self-esteem which I am proud that I
am getting now.

    RUBRIC FOR MAKING A SHORT ESSAY

Advance (5) Developing (3) Emerging (1) Score

Exceptionally Well-presented and Content is sound and

well-presented argued; ideas are solid; ideas are
Content and argued; detailed, developed present but not
ideas are and supported with particularly
detailed, well- evidence and details, developed or
developed. mostly specific. supported; some
evidence, but usually
of a generalized
nature.
 Organization is Organization is Organization is
coherent, unified coherent and unified confused and
Organizatio and effective in overall in support of fragmented in
n support of the the paper’s purpose/ support of the essay’s
paper’s purpose plan, but is purpose/ plan and
ineffective at times demonstrates a lack
and may demonstrate of structure or
abrupt or weak coherence that
transitions between negatively affects
ideas or paragraphs. readability.

Shows a pattern of
errors in spelling,
Mechanics Excellent A few errors in grammar, and
grammar, grammar, spelling, syntax.  Could also
spelling, and and syntax but not be a sign of lack of
syntax. many. proof-reading.

PROCESS OF SUBMISSION:

1. The module after completion of answers must be submitted at the google classroom code of your
course subject.
2. Filename of the submitted module must be in a (LAST NAME, FIRST NAME) format.
3. Deadline of submission is on November 18, 2020.