Aesthetics and Ethics.

Catching up on some of my missed blogs from the past few weeks, this blog is in reference to Q&A#9 in which we were asked to discuss the significance of ethics in regards to aesthetics.

In order to determine whether ethics is in any way significant to aesthetics, one must first define the meanings of the terms "ethics" and "aesthetics." Aesthetics refers to a branch of philosophy that deals with taste, beauty, and the otherwise superficial nature of the human condition. On the other hand, ethics refers to a branch of philosophy that deals with the question of morality, right versus wrong, and social acceptability. I believe that ethics is related significantly to aesthetics because most people judge beauty based on what the social normality of it is perceived to be. For instance, the slaughter of a pig may be a tribal celebration, an act of art and beauty to primitive cultures, and the entire ordeal would be considered beautiful to some. However, modern age has sculpted us into thinking that any kind of murder is morally wrong and the ethics of the situation is brought into play – instead of that celebration being "beautiful," it is now seen as sinful, wrong, disgusting, or immoral. The term "aesthetics ethics" also ties into this concept – aesthetics ethics is the idea that human conduct should be governed by that which is beautiful. The image of beauty is largely based on what is trendy or popular in today’s day and age, so ethics and aesthetics have the tendency to go hand-in-hand.

My question is, "Has society always been so largely dependent on aesthetics as a basis for judgments? If not, what do you believe has changed throughout the centuries that caused us to become so judgemental?"