When Coleridge tried to define beauty, he returned always…
“When Coleridge tried to define beauty, he returned always to one deep thought; beauty, he said, is unity in variety! Science is nothing else than the search to discover unity in the wild variety of nature,-or, more exactly, in the variety of our experience. Poetry, painting, the arts are the same search, in Coleridge's phrase, for unity in variety.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Coleridge sees beauty as the harmonious blend of diverse elements, a principle shared by science and the arts seeking underlying unity.
In simple terms: Beauty is unity in variety.
Key Takeaway
Seek harmony amid diversity.
Themes
aesthetic
philosophy
science
art
unity
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- painting
- scientific
- scientific research
- personal growth
- interdisciplinary study
Key Concepts
Harmony
diversity
search for meaning
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you find unity in chaotic situations?
- What does unity in variety mean for your creative work?
A Different Perspective
May overlook conflict between unity and needed.