So I recently had a long car ride with a person who had some strong views on absolute truth. I am of the opinion that absolute truth needs an arbitrator or some mechanism for consensus for a truth to be an absolute for a group of people.
They kept saying that the lack of absolute truth is the problem with modern society. That god is the only arbiter of absolute truth, and I couldnt get an answer on how we mortals are able to divine such things.
It was real frustrating when they wouldn’t agree that the as a society, we give the justice system the ability to arbitrate truth.
When I told them that I dont think absolute truths exists he told me that was an absolute truth I believed
I have seen a lot of people who claim that an absolute truth exists and I have seen that thought process color their interactions in society. I think this belief system is a cancer on society and that religions are cultivating it.
I think the idea of an absolute truth being able to be uncovered is quite comforting to these people, and for people who do t consider themselves to be religious these religious ideas persist into their life.
Anyway, just thought I would share.
I always strive to see the nuiance in people, believe as little as possible, change my opinions on matters when appropriate, see absolute truth as a mechanism for arbiters to control.
Thoughts?
Yeah I think this is the heart of the issue, thank you for articulating it better than I could. I only wish I knew of a way to get people out of this deeply dug groove. but perhaps it might not be as good of a thing as I hope.
Once they’re in it, I don’t think there’s a way to get them out, or at least not effectively and productively.
It’s a fundamental psychological need. For whatever reason, they can’t cope with an existence that isn’t anchored in some kind of supposedly absolute truth, so even if one could successfully break through to them and get them to see that their absolute truth is certainly not absolute and likely not even truth, all one would be doing would be tearing the props out from under their lives and leaving them with nothing.
And it’s far more likely that one would fail to get through to them, and just end up alienating them. And, ironically enough, potentially leading them to cling to their make-believe absolute truth just that much more determinedly.
I think it’s just one of those things that’s going to have to be left up to philosophical and sociological evolution. If humanity can survive long enough, I would expect it to become less of an issue over successive generations. And that’s likely about the best we can hope for.