---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One may ask the question as to the extent…"
description: "\"One may ask the question as to the extent to which the quest for beauty is an aim in the pursuit of science. . . . It is, indeed, an incredible fact th..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar-452_adventure_one-may-ask-the-question-as-to-the-exten_2222986.png"
---

#  One may ask the question as to the extent to which the…

![“One may ask the question as to the extent to which the quest for beauty is an aim in the pursuit of science. . . . It is, indeed, an incredible fact that what the human mind, at its deepest and most profound, perceives as beautiful finds its realization in external nature. What is intelligible is…” quote by Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar-452_adventure_one-may-ask-the-question-as-to-the-exten_2222986.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar-452_adventure_one-may-ask-the-question-as-to-the-exten_2222986.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar-452_adventure_one-may-ask-the-question-as-to-the-exten_2222986.png)

> “One may ask the question as to the extent to which the quest for beauty is an aim in the pursuit of science. . . . It is, indeed, an incredible fact that what the human mind, at its deepest and most profound, perceives as beautiful finds its realization in external nature. What is intelligible is also beautiful.”

[Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/)

## About This Quote

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

The pursuit of scientific knowledge is driven by an innate sense of beauty, as the most profound ideas are both intelligible and aesthetically pleasing.

**In simple terms:** Science seeks beautiful, understandable truths.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate curiosity for elegant explanations.

Themes

science beauty philosophy knowledge aesthetics

Mood

wonderful inspired reflective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- research
- education
- artistic exploration
- public outreach

Key Concepts

symmetry order truth human cognition

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we find certain patterns beautiful?
- Can aesthetic appeal bias scientific judgment?

A Different Perspective

Beauty may be subjective and not always guide empirical rigor.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Adventure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adventure/) [Aim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aim/) [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Beauty Aim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty-aim-573660/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Human mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-mind/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Incredibles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incredibles/) [Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mind Deepest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-deepest-1403195/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Perceive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceive/) [Perceives Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceives-beautiful-1625350/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Profound Perceives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound-perceives-4969242/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Pursuit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursuit/) [Quests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quests/) [Realization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realization/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/)

## Related quotes

> [A lot of guys are very intimidated by an attractive woman, and they dehumanise her because our culture perceives beautiful women as commodities. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/a-lot-of-guys-are-very-intimidated-by-an-attractive-woman-and-they/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [The older I get, and the more collections I do, the more I'm driven by real style and beauty. My aim is to reveal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-philo/the-older-i-get-and-the-more-collections-i-do-the-more-i-m-driven-by/)

[Phoebe Philo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-philo/)

> [Real beauty is my aim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/real-beauty-is-my-aim/)

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

> [“Writing is like making love. Connecting with another person's mind is the deepest form of penetration.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-stern/writing-is-like-making-love-connecting-with-another-person-s-mind-is/)

[Shawn Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-stern/)

> [Beyond the mind, at the deepest level of consciousnesss, resides the spirit. This is the part of us that is eternal, unchanging, and imbued…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/beyond-the-mind-at-the-deepest-level-of-consciousnesss-resides-the/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [When you are enlightened and have united your mind with the deepest and most ancient part of the mind of the universe, you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-you-are-enlightened-and-have-united-your-mind-with-the-deepest/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [The mind's deepest desire, even in its most elaborate operations, parallels man's unconscious feeling in the face of his universe: it is an insistence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-mind-s-deepest-desire-even-in-its-most-elaborate-operations/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [Annabeth realized that if six of them went on these two quests, it would leave Percy alone on the ship with Coach Hedge, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/annabeth-realized-that-if-six-of-them-went-on-these-two-quests-it/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [J. Budziszewski is perhaps the clearest and most eloquent natural lawyer writing today. When reading his works I often find myself amazed by his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-j-beckwith/j-budziszewski-is-perhaps-the-clearest-and-most-eloquent-natural/)

[Francis J. Beckwith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-j-beckwith/)

> [We started this together, Leo. Seems only right you come along. You find us a ride, you're in." "Yes!" Leo pumped his fist. \*…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/we-started-this-together-leo-seems-only-right-you-come-along-you-find/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [For me, the spiritual quest will be a life-long work in progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/for-me-the-spiritual-quest-will-be-a-life-long-work-in-progress/)

[Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/)

> [O Mariner-soul, Thy quest is but begun, There are new worlds Forever to be won.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-larcom/o-mariner-soul-thy-quest-is-but-begun-there-are-new-worlds-forever-to/)

[Lucy Larcom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-larcom/)

> [Mankind is engaged in an eternal quest for that ‘something else' he hopes will bring him happiness, complete and unending.For those individual souls who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/mankind-is-engaged-in-an-eternal-quest-for-that-something-else-he/)

[Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/)

> [We have won an armistice on a single battlefield, not peace in our world. We may not now relax our guard nor cease our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/we-have-won-an-armistice-on-a-single-battlefield-not-peace-in-our/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [The quest for Love changes us. There is no seeker among those who search for Love who has not matured on the way. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-quest-for-love-changes-us-there-is-no-seeker-among-those-who/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar

> [I am aware of the usefulness of science to society and of the benefits society derives from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/i-am-aware-of-the-usefulness-of-science-to-society-and-of-the/)

[Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/)

> [Science is a perception of the world around us. Science is a place where what you find in nature pleases you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/science-is-a-perception-of-the-world-around-us-science-is-a-place/)

[Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/)

> [Macroscopic objects, as we see them all around us, are governed by a variety of forces, derived from a variety of approximations to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/macroscopic-objects-as-we-see-them-all-around-us-are-governed-by-a/)

[Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/)

> [God is Man's greatest invention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/god-is-man-s-greatest-invention/)

[Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/)

> [The black holes of nature are the most perfect macroscopic objects there are in the universe: the only elements in their construction are our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/the-black-holes-of-nature-are-the-most-perfect-macroscopic-objects/)

[Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/)

> [All the standard equations of mathematical physics can be separated and solved in Kerr geometry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/all-the-standard-equations-of-mathematical-physics-can-be-separated/)

[Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/)

> [Indeed, I would feel that an appreciation of the arts in a conscious, disciplined way might help one to do science better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/indeed-i-would-feel-that-an-appreciation-of-the-arts-in-a-conscious/)

[Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/)

> [Beauty is that to what the human mind responds at its deepest and most profound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/beauty-is-that-to-what-the-human-mind-responds-at-its-deepest-and/)

[Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/)

[Explore all 9 Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/)

## More Adventure quotes

> [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/)

[Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/)

> [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/)

[Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/)

> [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/)

[Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/)

> [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/)

[Jessica Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-yu/)

> [“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-supertramp-chris-mccandless/so-many-people-live-within-unhappy-circumstances-and-yet-will-not/)

[Alexander Supertramp Chris McCandless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-supertramp-chris-mccandless/)

> [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/)

[Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/)

> [“Exactly. I think the original tantric Buddhists took notice of was some very wise old people who never studied in their youth, but took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-niemczura/exactly-i-think-the-original-tantric-buddhists-took-notice-of-was/)

[Joe Niemczura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-niemczura/)

> [As an adventurer...I try to protect against the downside. I make sure I have covered as many eventualities as I can. In the end,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/as-an-adventurer-i-try-to-protect-against-the-downside-i-make-sure-i/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [“Love can give you such happiness, then can break the very heart it filled, leaving a hole that can never be fixed or protected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mcleod/love-can-give-you-such-happiness-then-can-break-the-very-heart-it/)

[Kevin McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mcleod/)

> [“It always gave Wolf a peculiar thrill thus to tighten his grip upon his stick, thus to wrap himself more closely in his faded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cowper-powys/it-always-gave-wolf-a-peculiar-thrill-thus-to-tighten-his-grip-upon/)

[John Cowper Powys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cowper-powys/)

> [“It all had to be squeezed and squeezed again, to provide a thrill, to provide enjoyment. What did people mean, with their simply determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence-2/it-all-had-to-be-squeezed-and-squeezed-again-to-provide-a-thrill-to/)

[D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/)

> [I am not an adventurous person but I am gutsy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahul-vaidya/i-am-not-an-adventurous-person-but-i-am-gutsy/)

[Rahul Vaidya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahul-vaidya/)

> [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/)

[James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/)

[Browse all 7,690 Adventure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adventure/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "One may ask the question as to the extent to which the quest for beauty is an aim in the pursuit of science. . . . It is, indeed, an incredible fact that what the human mind, at its deepest and most profound, perceives as beautiful finds its realization in external nature. What is intelligible is also beautiful.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/one-may-ask-the-question-as-to-the-extent-to-which-the-quest-for/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Adventure"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/one-may-ask-the-question-as-to-the-extent-to-which-the-quest-for/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar-452_adventure_one-may-ask-the-question-as-to-the-exten_2222986.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar-452_adventure_one-may-ask-the-question-as-to-the-exten_2222986.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar-452_adventure_one-may-ask-the-question-as-to-the-exten_2222986.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“One may ask the question as to the extent to which the quest for beauty is an aim in the pursuit of science…” — Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar",
                "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": "Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "One may ask the question as...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/one-may-ask-the-question-as-to-the-extent-to-which-the-quest-for/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyan-chandrasekhar/one-may-ask-the-question-as-to-the-extent-to-which-the-quest-for/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
