Truth became an intangible value the day we learned how to lie. If we consider truth to be a value inherent in all things, the only way to determine ‘truth’ levels within a thing would be to consider truth as an absolute. For instance, if truth is beauty and beauty truth, then all things that are considered beautiful are also true, and all things that are considered true have beauty in them, because of the ‘truth’ of said beauty (although as stated, both are completely intangible values). The truth is inherent in the item because the creature, idea or revelation is ‘truly’ beautiful. Thus, truth is essentially the statement of unquestionable fact. Without the fact being an absolute, it is impossible for said fact to possess truth.
The day that we learned how to question is the day we learnt to lie. To have differing points of view, to be able to question, consider and refute the world around us utterly removes the inherent value of ‘truth’, as it undermines the essential component of unquestionable fact. With said ability to question and ultimately to deceive or distort the facts of a thing is to destroy the indisputability of the value of truth – to remove the purity of said truth is to destroy it utterly, for it cannot exist in part, only as a whole. As an absolute, we are literally forced to acknowledge truth – at least as a measurable, inherent value – as an ‘all or nothing’ situation.
Indeed, if we remove the equation of deception, questioning – in short, the entire concept of perception – we find truth once more, but in a pervading absolute sense once again. With the absence of perception, truth becomes an absolute present in all things – if things can be considered to exist with nobody perceiving them. Add perception to the equation and truth once again becomes impossibility.
So, in place of truth, we have the belief of truth. We have opinion, perception and conclusion. Some would consider this a poor substitute for the overwhelming indisputability of truth – but unfortunately, it is all we can hope for. Given the natural, unfortunate ability of life to insist upon observing the world, truth cannot exist.
1 comment:
Using beauty = truth, once we remove preconception and it's distortion of perception, we discover that all things are beautiful; and thus true.
However once the "civilised" mind applies it's layer of context and preconception to the perceived world, then the beauty (and thus truth) is obscured. Truth (and beauty!) still exists; nothing is hidden but not everything is seen - and thus the fault lies in the observer, not the observed.
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