Beauty is nothing trivial.

We get up in the morning, look in the mirror and ask ourselves,

How do I look? The thinner, firmer, smoother and younger we seem, the better our self-image and prospects.

If you're not improving the way that you look,

then you're doing something wrong. Do not let yourself go. Focus on self-care and put the work in.

The alternative, be prepared to pay the social and economic price. In this episode, we'll be

exploring the nature and ethics of beauty ideals with Heather Widows, Professor of Philosophy

at the University of Warwick.

Professor Widows has become a global thought leader due to the success of her groundbreaking book,

Perfect Me, Beauty as an Ethical Ideal. According to Widows, the more committed to the beauty

ideal we are, the higher the demands. The more is required to be normal, and the further our

sense of self is determined by appearance.

It's time we face the ugly truth. We have come to see beauty as a direct reflection of worth and character. Hello and welcome to episode 119 of the Panseye cast, succumbing to lotions, potions and beauty

promotions. I'm Jack Symes, and I'm joined once again by the man who's whamming nobody with his cosmetic knee implants. It's Mr. Oli-Mali. Hello. And the ideal self, that is Professor Heather Widows. Hello. Welcome to the show, Heather. It's great to have you with us. Thank you. It's my absolute pleasure to be here. So before we dive in, Heather, to part one, we're going to ask some introductory questions. Today we're going to be discussing your thoughts on the nature of beauty ideals, but we're kind of curious about your philosophical approach and background. So in your view, Heather, what is philosophy? Philosophy teaches us how we should live together. So the question is, what is a good life? And I started out life as a

virtuethicist. I then got a postdoc where I had to do very applied things on genetics. And I

sort of never left. So I'm always concerned with what's happening in the real world and how we should

live together better. It's great. With those themes certainly shine through your work and what

we're going to be discussing today. Now, when we spoke to Daniel Dennett, he told us something interesting about what he sees as the role and

nature of philosophy and how it shouldn't be this isolated discipline just going about its business

without looking at other sorts of studies and areas. So he told us, and I quote, all of the great

work in philosophy is enriched, guided, and provoked by work in other fields So he told us, and I quote, all of the great work in philosophy is enriched,

guided and provoked by work in other fields. He told us that you really need to know more than what

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