Political philosophers from the beginning of history have articulated the significance of beauty. Allan D. Cooper argues that these writings are coded to justify patriarchal structures of power, and that each epoch of global history has reflected a paradigm of beauty that rationalizes protocols of gender performance. Patriarchy is a system of knowledge that trains men to become soldiers but is now being challenged by human rights advocates and women’s rights activists.

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Cooper (North Carolina Central Univ.) offers a thorough account of how the concept of beauty has been used by political theorists to establish control over subjects, especially, of course, women. The intersection of sexuality, race, age, and beauty has been widely discussed, as in Naomi Wolf's The Beauty Myth (CH, Jan'92, 29-3031), Susan Bordo's Unbearable Weight (1993), Maxine Leeds Craig's Ain't I a Beauty Queen? (CH, Jan'03, 40-3097), and Katerina Deliovsky's White Femininity (2010), among other works. This text complements its predecessors by analyzing how patriarchal structures were justified by philosophers around the world in each historical epoch. Cooper’s background in human rights and political identity informs her approach to understanding how ancient and modern theorists have conceptualized beauty in a way that benefits male power. Students already familiar with the canons of political theory and those studying human rights, feminism, and gender studies will find that this volume offers an insightful look into how beauty standards simultaneously transform over time but continuously serve the interests of those in power. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.