Sunday at church, I saw something quite depressing. To illustrate a point, a camera crew visited a local university, and asked the simple question: "What is absolute truth?" The answers were sad, sad, sad.
They had many respondants. Most identified "absolute truth" as what was inside their mind, saying things like:"It's whatever you think it is." "Absolute truth is inside me."
The interviewer, off camera, often replied: "If you and I have different absolute truths, then doesn't that mean that your truth is relative?" Most of those interviewed got very confused at this point.
One man, who appeared to at least know what the word "absolute" meant, stated flatly: "There is no absolute truth." It wasn't pointed out he was, in fact, stating one.
The most hopeful interviewee, in my opinon, was a girl with a bright, bubbly smile, who was laughing at herself, who said: "I have my own truth, but" (embarassed, and somewhat tentative-sounding) "but sometimes, it's like I find other people have a better truth, and when I find that, I adopt their truth instead? I know that sounds wrong..."
No, not at all, whoever you are. Although she was clearly confused about the words "truth" (if yours doesn't match reality, it's hardly "truth") and "absolute", she was laughing at herself -- a very hopeful sign for any of us! -- and clearly had a good thinking process, even if she'd been taught to misuse important words.
As I mentioned most the people on camera appeared flustered, embarassed, and apologetic about their answers -- almost as if they were saying these things out loud for the first time and realizing they didn't make sense.
The number of people who believed they could find some kind of objective, "absolute" truth by looking inside their imagination -- as opposed to studying the universe around them -- was truly frightening: it appears the universities are sending young people into this world with few, if any cognitive or truth-finding skills. Sending them into any future battle of wits... disarmed, one might say.
How can you ever decide what works and what doesn't if you only have to close your eyes and "feel" to find the right answer? Wouldn't the dead bodies or dysfunctional society around you be a better indicator?
I am pondering how I can help.
Clearly, this blog isn't doing the trick.
Changing one person's view, or even influencing them is, I would argue, making a difference...even though it might not be on the scale you would hope for.
I only recieved any instruction regarding "absolute truth" in a motivational seminar lecture by Zig Ziglar, who argues of course that some truths are absolute. And I went to Catholic grade school, Jesuit High School, and two Universities.
I doubt most of us get to hear Zig or others lecture on the topic. I would surmise that Universities in general do not teach most students about the concept. Perhaps its the lack of actual instruction in this area, coupled with the perceived values in our society that has resulted in the responses you saw?
Recognition of the difficulty of finding or knowing absolute truth was a large part of the Enlightenment, the intellectual event that led to modern western civilisation. Even the existence of the world in the sense we perceive it can be questioned. This does not mean that absolute truths don't exist, it means it is difficult or impossible for human beings to know them intellectually. It is hardly surprising that universities don't teach in terms of absolute truth--their purpose is to teach people about things that are known and about what it means to know something in a rational way--in other words, to think and question, and not simply believe.
This idea that access to absolute truth is difficult or impossible for human beings is not only found in modern intellectualism, but also is present in much religious thought. In any case, the absolute is the sphere of religion and faith--knowing for sure the truth of the universe in spite of evidence or the lack there of is not an intellectual exercise, it is a religous or spiritual one.
Be that as it may, the finding that people on university campuses seem to think they can find absolute truth within their own minds shouldn't be blamed on universities. It has more to do with the modern world's obsession with Mammon and its fruits. The lack of serious replies from the interviewees probably has to do with the fact that going to University is no longer a step in an intellectual life, but is now simply a required step for anyone seeking a middle class life--most college campuses are filled with people who are not intellectually engaged, but are really simply taking job training. You'd get more interesting answers if you asked a bunch of philosphy or science graduate students at a good university.
Changing one person's view, or even influencing them is, I would argue, making a difference...even though it might not be on the scale you would hope for.
I only recieved any instruction regarding "absolute truth" in a motivational seminar lecture by Zig Ziglar, who argues of course that some truths are absolute. And I went to Catholic grade school, Jesuit High School, and two Universities.
I doubt most of us get to hear Zig or others lecture on the topic. I would surmise that Universities in general do not teach most students about the concept. Perhaps its the lack of actual instruction in this area, coupled with the perceived values in our society that has resulted in the responses you saw?
Posted by: Steve on September 10, 2003 10:47 AM