It works like this. I have faith that human beauty isn’t completely arbitrary. There are some rules to it that would be shared by other species that have a concept of beauty. This common rule would define a common beauty. For example, let’s suppose a meta-property of beauty is the following rule: Something will be beautiful if it physically manifests a value that you have. (This is the best I can come up with.)
From what you’ve written above, we assume these baby-eaters think that ruthlessly eating their young is beautiful. Applying the meta-rule, ruthlessness must represent some value X they have. (For example, X could be the thrill of power, exerting their will in defiance of what is good.). Thus the beauty of ruthlessness is validated by the fact that it is a physical manifestation of the value X. (If you find yourself dissatisfied with this it is likely because I didn’t pick a good enough meta-rule.)
It doesn’t matter if you value X . By logical application of the meta-rule, if you value X, you will be able to see some beauty in the physical manifestation of X. If you don’t value X, then it won’t be beautiful to you. You said you can’t see beauty in ruthlessly eating babies, so actually you don’t value X. This does not present any problem.
Because this is what’s promised: you will both find a common application of the meta-rule beautiful. This would mean finding a common value, and physically manifesting it as Y. It is clear you would both find this thing Y beautiful.
There’s mostly nothing meaningful here: I just got out what I put in with this silly example. But just one thing: even though your ideas of beauty are different, you find something beautiful in common. This common beauty is external, objective beauty.
I think (3) is true.
It works like this. I have faith that human beauty isn’t completely arbitrary. There are some rules to it that would be shared by other species that have a concept of beauty. This common rule would define a common beauty. For example, let’s suppose a meta-property of beauty is the following rule: Something will be beautiful if it physically manifests a value that you have. (This is the best I can come up with.)
From what you’ve written above, we assume these baby-eaters think that ruthlessly eating their young is beautiful. Applying the meta-rule, ruthlessness must represent some value X they have. (For example, X could be the thrill of power, exerting their will in defiance of what is good.). Thus the beauty of ruthlessness is validated by the fact that it is a physical manifestation of the value X. (If you find yourself dissatisfied with this it is likely because I didn’t pick a good enough meta-rule.)
It doesn’t matter if you value X . By logical application of the meta-rule, if you value X, you will be able to see some beauty in the physical manifestation of X. If you don’t value X, then it won’t be beautiful to you. You said you can’t see beauty in ruthlessly eating babies, so actually you don’t value X. This does not present any problem.
Because this is what’s promised: you will both find a common application of the meta-rule beautiful. This would mean finding a common value, and physically manifesting it as Y. It is clear you would both find this thing Y beautiful.
There’s mostly nothing meaningful here: I just got out what I put in with this silly example. But just one thing: even though your ideas of beauty are different, you find something beautiful in common. This common beauty is external, objective beauty.