Arguments rage throughout the scientific community, between artists, and into the blogosphere about beauty. At the extremes are those who say that beauty is objective, and that humans are “wired” to respond to it the same; and those who say that it is totally subjective, and that there is no real standard.
I’m somewhere in between. I believe that there is an objective standard for human beauty that is based on health and viability. However, there are many “flavors” of it, and how people will respond to a particular type of beauty depends on their culture, experiences, and personal needs.