Prof Muzaffar Bokhari's Expansion.
Truth is Beauty, Beauty Truth
“Truth is beauty, beauty truth. That is all ye know on earth And all you need to know.
These lines occur in Keats's famous poem 'Ode on a Grecian Urn.' In these lines, the poet emphasises the identity of beauty and truth. According to him, only truth represents beauty, a fact all humans should bear in mind. Great truths are communicated by works of art: literature, sculpture, architecture, paintings, films or other effective media. Every portrait painted is either a truth or a lie or a mixture of the two. Its beauty depends on the degree of truth, and honesty depicted in it. An artist who puts his heart and soul in his work and applies true tones of colour, theme and dedication, is able to produce a beautiful piece. It would be a synthesis of beauty and truth. In fact, beauty and truth, like arts and sciences, form together a kind of commonwealth in which each serves the other. Whatever else truth may be, there is no doubt as to its being valuable, not merely in the sense that it is good to look at, but also it does good to those who see it, know it and act upon it. Like truth, beauty is dynamic and vital; no wonder the poet links them to be the same.
That truth is beauty, beauty truth, is most significantly illustrated by the beauty that lies in the creative arts. Truth when depicted in a piece of art — a painting, a poem, a musical lyric or a symbolic dance — becomes a personified beauty. The painter, the poet, the musician or the dancer makes the truth so beautiful that it permeates the whole being of the viewer, the reader or the listener. It leaves a life-long impression on the mind provided one is receptive and the message conveyed by the artist is infinitely true. Thus, beauty is truth and truth is beauty. This is the basic truth which all humans should know. Without the realisation of the beautiful, without the refinement of the heart and consciousness, earthly existence would become cruel and deadly. However, enchanting from outside, falsehood is ugly inside. Truth, even if bitter at times, is essentially and ultimately beautiful.
Monday, September 01, 2008 JWT
2. OUR DEEDS DETERMINE US AS MUCH AS WE DETERMINE OUR DEEDS
I think therefore I am,” said Descartes, the famous French philosopher. For him our thoughts determine us as entities. This is true to a very large extent, as our actions are preceded by thoughts, either at the conscious or unconscious level. However, thoughts being at an abstract level are not tangible enough to be taken notice of. Hence, we are judged only by our deeds. A person is known by his deeds. If a person is helpful, polite and considerate in his actions towards his fellow-beings, he is known as a kind person. The converse is equally true. A mean, rude and selfish person is regarded as bad. Our behaviour, 'good' or 'bad', certainly shapes our persona and determines our personality. Thus, our deeds determine us as they condition our behaviour and pre-dispose us to act in a certain way. Some believe that “man is master of his destiny.” This means by will-power alone we can fully determine and control our actions and thereby change the course of fate. This brings us to the central question of philosophy — free-will vs. pre-determination. But many people believe in the inscrutable hand of fate before which man is helpless. However, the philosophical tradition of deeds determining fate cannot easily be dismissed. The old Biblical saying may be quoted here — “As you sow, so shall ye reap.” This concept implies that we are a product of our actions — both past and present. This boils down to the fact that our deeds determine us. On the other hand, if we believe in the existence of free-will, then we alone determine our deeds and are completely in control of our lives. This implies that we determine our deeds.
ye reap.” This concept implies that we are a product of our actions — both past and present. This boils down to the fact that our deeds determine us. On the other hand, if we believe in the existence of free-will, then we alone determine our deeds and are completely in control of our lives. This implies that we determine our deeds.
Perhaps both concepts are equally true and it depends on the immediate circumstances. Sometimes we may determine our deeds and at other times our deeds may determine us. We may say that we and our deeds are inextricably linked, and determined and governed by each other. It means a good deed determines that we become good and by becoming good we determine that our future deeds are good, and the wheel comes full circle.
3. TRUTH MAY BE ECLIPSED BUT NOT EXTINGUISHED
The word 'truth' is an abstract noun, but we use many adjectives to describe it: the plain truth, the simple truth, the honest truth, the sober truth, the exact truth, etc. From these phrases it emerges that truth is associated with plainness, simplicity, honesty, sobriety, accuracy, etc. — all desirable, ethically correct virtues.
However, we also use expressions like the bitter truth and the naked truth and this hints at the fact that truth is not always palatable. It is often an impediment, an embarrassment, a disappointment or even a threat. When truth becomes an unwanted stumbling block, man resorts to a cover-up, called a lie. If we probe the anatomy of a lie we come up with all that is undesirable, imperfect, corrupt, negative and vicious in human nature. Truth is light and every falsehood symbolises darkness and every time we lie we are actually attempting to obscure light and bring on darkness.
What we must discover is whether one can succeed in snuffing out the candle of truth altogether. Is the prevailing darkness final or does the darkness at noon give way to light as is observed in an eclipse? An eclipse is a natural phenomenon when a temporary shadow is cast on the sun or the moon. After a predictable time-span, the shadow passes and the sun or the moon begins shining in all its glory. It is to be seen whether the same is the case when an untruth tries to eclipse the truth. History gives us countless examples proving that truth has sometimes been obscured, but never obliterated. Shakespeare's plays often underscore the triumph of good over evil, virtue over vice, truth over falsehood. Tolstoy believed that truth, beauty and goodness combined was a force potent enough to
vanquish evil for ever. In the modern everyday world too there is fresh evidence daily of the subversion of truth for various reasons. Scams and scandals rock economic and political foundations at frequent intervals but the very fact that they are labelled as such indicates that the eclipse will be over and the truth will soon be out. Philip Lee Ralph says: People still believe, deep in their hearts, that truth is stronger than falsehood and will triumph over it: that integrity is better than expediency, that right is better than might.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
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