Aesthetic Identity, Well-Being, and the Right to Beauty

In this essay I will argue that beauty is an important part of human well-being. Not only may experiences of beauty contribute to physical and mental recuperation, but beauty also figures importantly in our conceptions of ourselves and our natural and social environment. Relating ourselves to norms of beauty and evaluating our environment from the point of view of its (lack of) beauty, we form ourselves aesthetic identities that are also important aspects of our self-esteem. Given the importance of beauty to human well-being, and given that an argument can be given for a right to well-being, the conclusion of this essay will be that there is also a right to beauty.