Is beauty truth? (Or truth beauty?)
-- John Keats, Ode on a Grecian Urn
Do you think what Keats wrote is true? (Or beautiful?)
(This question, and a few others this week, were taken from or inspired by TED 2008, the themes of which were arranged around the biggest questions out there. Feel free to visit the link above to see the programs and forums that resulted!)
Not in any universal sense...
Not in any universal sense of truth, if there is such a thing. How can beauty be truth when it is entirely subjective, a matter of judgment? What one person finds beautiful the next may... More »
I have always thought...
I have always thought that they were inseparable. But we have to add the caveat that truth is beauty on a subjective basis. My ideas of beauty reflect my ideas of truth. And... More »
I agree that it is...
I agree that it is both- (This is simply my view..ahem) Since both are unique to the perciever...(perceptual and subjective in nature-) I believe that each of us could have a valid answer for that... More »
Truth is universal and quantifiable,...
Truth is universal and quantifiable, beauty is not. In fact, sometimes what people consider beautiful could be based on lots of deceptions. And the truth, in specific instances and not as a universal value, can sometimes be... More »
I think that more times...
I think that more times than not....truth is beauty.....when someone tells you the truth, even though it might hurt, it still a beautiful and honest act. You can always trust them in the future to... More »
YES. This is not a...
YES. This is not a question that "exists" in any meaningful way, but is a question made possible only because we have words that can be strung together to ask it. I mean, I could... More »
Truth is a word. Truth...
Truth is a word. Truth to one will not be the same to the other. Beauty is also in the eye of the beholder.
I think truth is beauty,...
I think truth is beauty, and so is innocence. Beauty, when viewed simply as an aesthetic quality, can also be truthful. Regardless of substance, beauty posesses a captivating facade that at least appears to be... More »
Well, sometimes beauty is artificial,...
Well, sometimes beauty is artificial, and sometimes the truth hurts, so...I guess not. But everyone probably has different interpretations on what is beautiful, so it depends on the person.






