Behinds Quote by Oscar Wilde
“For, try as we may, we cannot get behind the appearence of things to reality. And the terrible reason may be that there is no reality in the things apart from their appearences.”
About This Quote
Source Play: "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde, 1895
The quote argues that appearances can be mistaken for reality, and perhaps reality exists only in appearances, questioning the nature of truth.
In simple terms: Appearances may be all we have of reality.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about truth.
Themes
philosophy
perception
reality
illusion
Mood
wry
introspective
provocative
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- theatrical performance
- literary analysis
- philosophical discussion
Key Concepts
epistemology
existentialism
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we distinguish appearance from reality?
- Can truth exist without perception?
A Different Perspective
The statement can lead to relativism.
![“[Plato] was the first to envisage the idea of timeless existence and to emphasize it-against reason-as a reality, more [real] than our actual experience...” quote by Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8e3/erwin-schrodinger-8450_existence_plato-was-the-first-to-envisage-the-idea_1631296.jpg)
