This week I wish to address the subject of truth. What is truth? Many today argue that it is a relative matter; it all depends on your own personal interpretation. Perhaps in some sense that is true, but does it hold for all areas of life and should it?
Law as Truth
If we say gravity is a fundamental physical force that is responsible for interactions that occur because of mass between particles, can we say this is any more or less true than a statement such as, “science is unable to adequately explain all of the phenomena experienced by human life?”
Now compare those two statements with this one, “Truth is relative.” Again I ask, “Is it?” If so, relative to what? Time and discovery? Perhaps one day we will discover that the law of gravity is really relative, not in the Einstein sense, but in the Newtonian sense. Now how likely do you really think that is?
Truth as Relative
Perhaps one-day science will be able to elaborate and explain the whole of the universe, but that seems highly improbable when you think about it. In a sense, that would require discovering the whole of the universe, and even the great science fiction flicks find that notion to be preposterous. We will forever be discovering and that is really what true science is all about—enquiry, research, discovery!
So what is it we mean then if we argue for truth as a relative proposition? It seems to me that it comes down to values. That is, we don’t really disagree about the truth underlying gravity. No, what we may disagree on is the nature of values. So one person’s truth about life eternal is another’s trigger for argument, one person’s perspective on good and evil is another’s pivot point for arguing that there is no such thing as real evil, and so on. In other words, the so-called relative nature of truth is all about values.
The Bias of Truth
There is one value however that we should all be able to agree on and that is the right to live free so long as we do not infringe upon that same right of others. Oh, but the infringement may then lead us down yet another disagreement about truth. We see this happening right now as the DOJ takes aim at North Carolina over their new law describing who can use what bathroom. So once again, the dispute about this thing called “truth” is always over values. We recognize that quickly, and often allow our biases to take sides too quickly!
So now, the bottom line, there are those who believe that their truth calls for a certain treatment of women, a certain form of living, obedience to sacred laws, and in the name of their beliefs, they visit other countries as suicide bombers. Is this truth just as relative? It turns out truth may turn on your personal interest more than on any objective fact! Is that what we really want “truth” to mean?
As always, thanks for the read and I appreciate your feedback.
Eldon Taylor
Provocative Enlightenment
NY Time Bestselling Author of Choices and Illusions
www.eldontaylor.com