THL1501
ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
DUE: 24 APRIL 2026 (MEMO)
, THL1501 ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
DUE 24 APRIL 2026
Question 1
In her book, Basic Issues in Aesthetics (1998), cited in the Study Guide, Marcia Eaton
discusses the difficulties with defining the terms “beauty” and “aesthetics.” Referring to
this excerpt, in an essay of 500–800 words, argue that it is possible for these terms to
be used objectively despite arguments to the contrary.
In other words, argue that it possible to define what “beauty” and “aesthetics”
are. You may refer to the examples Eaton uses but can also provide your own.
Include your references to the Study Guide both in-text and in a bibliography.
The Objectivity of Beauty and Aesthetics: A Defence Through Discourse
In her seminal work, Basic Issues in Aesthetics (1988), Marcia Eaton expresses a
fundamental problem that has plagued philosophy since Socrates: the difficulty of
defining the terms beauty and aesthetics. As the provided excerpts from the study guide
(THL801U/1) demonstrate, the challenge is multifaceted. Dictionaries offer circular
definitions that lead us back to equally elusive concepts like art” and “good taste” (Study
Guide, p. 43). Also, our aesthetic judgments seem radically subjective; one person’s
“exciting” film is another’s “boring” bore, and the very features cited as proof of worth
are often used as evidence of its lack (Eaton, 1988, p. 44). This has led to the pervasive
notion that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” However, a closer examination of the
arguments presented by Eaton and the study guide reveals that this subjectivity is not a
terminal flaw. Instead, the very nature of our disagreements, the structures we use to
debate them, and the consequential values we assign to aesthetic objects demonstrate
that “beauty” and “aesthetics” can be used and defined in a manner that is functionally
objective.
ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
DUE: 24 APRIL 2026 (MEMO)
, THL1501 ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
DUE 24 APRIL 2026
Question 1
In her book, Basic Issues in Aesthetics (1998), cited in the Study Guide, Marcia Eaton
discusses the difficulties with defining the terms “beauty” and “aesthetics.” Referring to
this excerpt, in an essay of 500–800 words, argue that it is possible for these terms to
be used objectively despite arguments to the contrary.
In other words, argue that it possible to define what “beauty” and “aesthetics”
are. You may refer to the examples Eaton uses but can also provide your own.
Include your references to the Study Guide both in-text and in a bibliography.
The Objectivity of Beauty and Aesthetics: A Defence Through Discourse
In her seminal work, Basic Issues in Aesthetics (1988), Marcia Eaton expresses a
fundamental problem that has plagued philosophy since Socrates: the difficulty of
defining the terms beauty and aesthetics. As the provided excerpts from the study guide
(THL801U/1) demonstrate, the challenge is multifaceted. Dictionaries offer circular
definitions that lead us back to equally elusive concepts like art” and “good taste” (Study
Guide, p. 43). Also, our aesthetic judgments seem radically subjective; one person’s
“exciting” film is another’s “boring” bore, and the very features cited as proof of worth
are often used as evidence of its lack (Eaton, 1988, p. 44). This has led to the pervasive
notion that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” However, a closer examination of the
arguments presented by Eaton and the study guide reveals that this subjectivity is not a
terminal flaw. Instead, the very nature of our disagreements, the structures we use to
debate them, and the consequential values we assign to aesthetic objects demonstrate
that “beauty” and “aesthetics” can be used and defined in a manner that is functionally
objective.
