---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thus then a single harmony orders the…"
description: "\"Thus then a single harmony orders the composition of the whole...by the mingling of the most contrary principles.\" — Aristotle"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/aristotle-78_composition_thus-then-a-single-harmony-orders-the-co_1584478.png"
---

#  Thus then a single harmony orders the composition of the…

![“Thus then a single harmony orders the composition of the whole...by the mingling of the most contrary principles.” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/aristotle-78_composition_thus-then-a-single-harmony-orders-the-co_1584478.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/aristotle-78_composition_thus-then-a-single-harmony-orders-the-co_1584478.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/aristotle-78_composition_thus-then-a-single-harmony-orders-the-co_1584478.png)

> “Thus then a single harmony orders the composition of the whole...by the mingling of the most contrary principles.”

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Harmony emerges when opposing forces are integrated, creating a unified whole.

**In simple terms:** Opposites combine to form unity.

Key Takeaway

Seek balance among contradictions.

Themes

philosophy unity contradiction

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- conflict resolution
- team building
- creative collaboration

Key Concepts

dialectics holism synthesis

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you integrate opposing ideas productively?
- What tensions arise when seeking harmony?

A Different Perspective

Balancing opposites can be complex and may require compromise.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Composition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composition/) [Composition Mingling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composition-mingling-5991769/) [Contrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contrary/) [Contrary Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contrary-principles-2385871/) [Harmony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmony/) [Harmony Orders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmony-orders-5991766/) [Mingling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mingling/) [Mingling Contrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mingling-contrary-5991768/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Single Harmony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-harmony-5991767/) [Unity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unity/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/)

## Related quotes

> [Bills of attainder, ex-post facto laws and laws impairing the obligation of contracts are contrary to the first principles of the social compact, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/bills-of-attainder-ex-post-facto-laws-and-laws-impairing-the/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [“The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/the-exercise-of-force-is-contrary-to-the-principles-of-god-s/)

[Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/)

> [One of the most ordinary weaknesses of the human intellect is to seek to reconcile contrary principles, and to purchase peace at the expense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/one-of-the-most-ordinary-weaknesses-of-the-human-intellect-is-to-seek/)

[Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/)

> [It is contrary to the principles of reason and justice that any should be compelled to contribute to the maintenance of a church with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/it-is-contrary-to-the-principles-of-reason-and-justice-that-any/)

[George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/)

> [“All their principles are true, sceptics, stoics, atheists, etc...but their conclusions are false, because the contrary principles are also true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/all-their-principles-are-true-sceptics-stoics-atheists-etc-but-their/)

[Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/)

> [There is a passion of reverence, almost of pity, mingling with the love of an honest man for a pure girl, which makes it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-malet/there-is-a-passion-of-reverence-almost-of-pity-mingling-with-the-love/)

[Lucas Malet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-malet/)

> [I feel ashamed that so many of us cannot imagine a better way to do things than locking children up all day in cells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/i-feel-ashamed-that-so-many-of-us-cannot-imagine-a-better-way-to-do/)

[John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/)

> [One particular aspect of Siddhartha’s revelation of the outside world has always struck me. Quite possibly he lived his first thirty years without any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tammet/one-particular-aspect-of-siddhartha-s-revelation-of-the-outside-world/)

[Daniel Tammet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-tammet/)

> [Russian ladies, for the most part, cherish only Platonic love, without mingling any thought of matrimony with it; and Platonic love is exceedingly embarrassing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-lermontov/russian-ladies-for-the-most-part-cherish-only-platonic-love-without/)

[Mikhail Lermontov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-lermontov/)

> [The rugged trees are mingling Their flowery sprays in love; The ivy climbs the laurel To clasp the boughs above.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-c-bryant/the-rugged-trees-are-mingling-their-flowery-sprays-in-love-the-ivy/)

[William C. Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-c-bryant/)

> [Do you know what friendship is?' he asked. 'Yes,' replied the gypsy; 'it is to be brother and sister; two souls which touch without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/do-you-know-what-friendship-is-he-asked-yes-replied-the-gypsy-it-is/)

[Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/)

> [He leaned closer, their faces drawing near, and he could feel the heat of her breath mingling with his. He closed his eyes against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/he-leaned-closer-their-faces-drawing-near-and-he-could-feel-the-heat/)

[Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/)

> [My own lov'd light, That very soft and solemn spirit worships, That lovers love so well--strange joy is thine, Whose influence o'er all tides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-robert-maturin/my-own-lov-d-light-that-very-soft-and-solemn-spirit-worships-that/)

[Charles Robert Maturin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-robert-maturin/)

> [Where the wave of moonlight glosses The dim gray sands with light, Far off by furthest Rosses We foot it all the night, Weaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/where-the-wave-of-moonlight-glosses-the-dim-gray-sands-with-light-far/)

[William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/)

> [Only by being suspended aloft, by dangling my mind in the heavens and mingling my rare thought with the ethereal air, could I ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/only-by-being-suspended-aloft-by-dangling-my-mind-in-the-heavens-and/)

[Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/)

## More by Aristotle

> [The knowledge of the soul admittedly contributes greatly to the advance of truth in general, and, above all, to our understanding of Nature, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-knowledge-of-the-soul-admittedly-contributes-greatly-to-the/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [Young men have strong passions and tend to gratify them indiscriminately. Of the bodily desires, it is the sexual by which they are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/young-men-have-strong-passions-and-tend-to-gratify-them/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [The body is at its best between the ages of thirty and thirty-five; the mind is at its best about the age of forty-nine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-body-is-at-its-best-between-the-ages-of-thirty-and-thirty-five/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [The ensouled is distinguished from the unsouled by its being alive. Now since being alive is spoken of in many ways, even if only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-ensouled-is-distinguished-from-the-unsouled-by-its-being-alive/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [Although it may be difficult in theory to know what is just and equal, the practical difficulty of inducing those to forbear who can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/although-it-may-be-difficult-in-theory-to-know-what-is-just-and-equal/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [The true forms of government, therefore, are those in which the one, or the few, or the many, govern with a view to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-true-forms-of-government-therefore-are-those-in-which-the-one-or/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [All men by nature desire to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/all-men-by-nature-desire-to-know/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [All persons ought to endeavor to follow what is right, and not what is established.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/all-persons-ought-to-endeavor-to-follow-what-is-right-and-not-what-is/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Give a man a poisoned fish, you feed him for the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/give-a-man-a-fish-you-feed-him-for-a-day-give-a-man-a-poisoned-fish/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [The man who confers a favour would rather not be repaid in the same coin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-man-who-confers-a-favour-would-rather-not-be-repaid-in-the-same/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [The mother of revolution and crime is poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-mother-of-revolution-and-crime-is-poverty/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [Obstinate people can be divided into the opinionated, the ignorant, and the boorish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/obstinate-people-can-be-divided-into-the-opinionated-the-ignorant-and/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [Happiness does not consist in pastimes and amusements but in virtuous activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/happiness-does-not-consist-in-pastimes-and-amusements-but-in-virtuous/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [To learn is a natural pleasure, not confined to philosophers, but common to all men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/to-learn-is-a-natural-pleasure-not-confined-to-philosophers-but/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [Every virtue is a mean between two extremes, each of which is a vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/every-virtue-is-a-mean-between-two-extremes-each-of-which-is-a-vice/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

[Explore all 1,545 Aristotle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

## More Composition quotes

> [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/)

[Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/)

> [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [At the risk of some oversimplification, if the skill composition of our work force meshed fully with the needs of our increasingly complex capital-stock,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/at-the-risk-of-some-oversimplification-if-the-skill-composition-of/)

[Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/)

> [Writers and musicians know well the importance of extensive reading for successful writing or extensive listening for musical composition. Likewise, visual artists... understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laseau/writers-and-musicians-know-well-the-importance-of-extensive-reading/)

[Paul Laseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laseau/)

> [A composition is always more than the sum of its parts. In other words, a really good piece of music is more than itself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-ma/a-composition-is-always-more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts-in-other-words/)

[Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/)

> [When I start writing a new imaginary future, I have no idea what it is. The characters arrive first. They help me figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/when-i-start-writing-a-new-imaginary-future-i-have-no-idea-what-it-is/)

[William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/)

> [Though I cannot claim to be a Christian in the sectarian sense, the example of Jesus suffering is a factor in the composition of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/though-i-cannot-claim-to-be-a-christian-in-the-sectarian-sense-the/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [I always look at money not as a motivating factor but as an element in the composition. You can't ignore it, but you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/i-always-look-at-money-not-as-a-motivating-factor-but-as-an-element/)

[Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/)

> [The unary Photograph has every reason to be banal, 'unity' of composition being the first rule of vulgar (and notably, of academic) rhetoric: 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/the-unary-photograph-has-every-reason-to-be-banal-unity-of/)

[Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/)

> [Musical compositions, it should be remembered, do not inhabit certain countries, certain museums, like paintings and statues. The Mozart Quintet is not shut up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-rabaud/musical-compositions-it-should-be-remembered-do-not-inhabit-certain/)

[Henri Rabaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-rabaud/)

> [Science does not enter a chaotic society to put order into it anymore, to simplify its composition, and to put an end to controversies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-latour/science-does-not-enter-a-chaotic-society-to-put-order-into-it-anymore/)

[Bruno Latour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-latour/)

> [If measure and symmetry are absent from any composition in any degree, ruin awaits both the ingredients and the composition... Measure and symmetry are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/if-measure-and-symmetry-are-absent-from-any-composition-in-any-degree/)

[Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/)

> [If you really want to be a good archaeologist, you have to understand ancient DNA; you have to understand chemical analysis to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-parcak/if-you-really-want-to-be-a-good-archaeologist-you-have-to-understand/)

[Sarah Parcak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-parcak/)

> [Oil companies are radical because they're willing to alter the chemical composition of the atmosphere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/oil-companies-are-radical-because-they-re-willing-to-alter-the/)

[Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/)

> [Composition is definitely what I'm born to do, and it came last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-friedman/composition-is-definitely-what-i-m-born-to-do-and-it-came-last/)

[David Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-friedman/)

[Browse all 766 Composition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composition/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Thus then a single harmony orders the composition of the whole...by the mingling of the most contrary principles.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Aristotle"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/thus-then-a-single-harmony-orders-the-composition-of-the-whole-by-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Composition"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/thus-then-a-single-harmony-orders-the-composition-of-the-whole-by-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/aristotle-78_composition_thus-then-a-single-harmony-orders-the-co_1584478.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/aristotle-78_composition_thus-then-a-single-harmony-orders-the-co_1584478.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/aristotle-78_composition_thus-then-a-single-harmony-orders-the-co_1584478.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Thus then a single harmony orders the composition of the whole...by the mingling of the most contrary…” — Aristotle",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Aristotle",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Thus then a single harmony orders...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/thus-then-a-single-harmony-orders-the-composition-of-the-whole-by-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/thus-then-a-single-harmony-orders-the-composition-of-the-whole-by-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
