--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If even a dog's tooth is truly worshipped…" description: "\"“If even a dog's tooth is truly worshipped it glows with light. The venerated object is endowed with power, that is the simple sense of the ontological..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/413/iris-murdoch-993_philosophical_if-even-a-dog-s-tooth-is-truly-worshippe_913984.png" --- # If even a dog's tooth is truly worshipped it glows with… ![“If even a dog's tooth is truly worshipped it glows with light. The venerated object is endowed with power, that is the simple sense of the ontological proof. And if there is art enough a lie can enlighten us as well as the truth. What is the truth anyway, that truth? As we know ourselves we are…” quote by Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/413/iris-murdoch-993_philosophical_if-even-a-dog-s-tooth-is-truly-worshippe_913984.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/413/iris-murdoch-993_philosophical_if-even-a-dog-s-tooth-is-truly-worshippe_913984.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/413/iris-murdoch-993_philosophical_if-even-a-dog-s-tooth-is-truly-worshippe_913984.png) > ““If even a dog's tooth is truly worshipped it glows with light. The venerated object is endowed with power, that is the simple sense of the ontological proof. And if there is art enough a lie can enlighten us as well as the truth. What is the truth anyway, that truth? As we know ourselves we are fake objects, fakes, bundles of illusions. Can you determine exactly what you felt or thought or did?”” [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Worshipping false idols gives them power; art can illuminate truth, but truth itself is elusive and self‑deception pervades perception. **In simple terms:** Idols gain power when revered; art can reveal truth; truth is uncertain. Key Takeaway Question what you truly believe and why. Themes philosophy illusion art truth self‑knowledge Mood contemplative skeptical Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal reflection - creative writing - critical analysis Key Concepts ontology epistemology aesthetics Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs have you accepted without scrutiny? - How does art challenge your perception of truth? A Different Perspective Truth can be manipulated by belief, limiting objective understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [All art deals with the absurd and aims at the simple. Good art speaks truth, indeed is truth, perhaps the only truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/all-art-deals-with-the-absurd-and-aims-at-the-simple-good-art-speaks/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [“Even those novelists most commonly deemed “philosophical” have sometimes answered with an emphatic no. 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