Abstract

In this article, I ask whether a theory of justice should deal with natural differences in beauty among women. I would like to analyze whether they lead to differences in life perspectives and, if so, how a society could deal with these natural aspects in order to avoid social injustices. Differences in natural distribution are natural facts. Justice and injustice are not in nature itself, but just or unjust is the way institutions incorporate the arbitrariness found in nature. I show that difference in beauty among women seems to lead to different social treatments. According to many researches, beauty is highly relevant to male mate preferences and mate preferences are important because they can affect the current direction of sexual selection by influencing who is differentially excluded from, and included in, mating and marriage. The way we can avoid the injustice based on differences on beauty, is by changing our strict patterns of beauty. I propose that it can be accomplished by mass media that show a plurality of body styles. In this sense, we put into question the existence of only one model of beauty and probably increase the justice of institutions.