What Is Truth?
Last week, I watched the documentary on Netflix called Beyond The Curve. It is about the growing movement that propagates the idea that the earth is flat. It’s a fascinating film not because the flat earth argument is convincing but because clearly depicts the fluidity of truth in our modern society.
In our modern world of alternative facts, fake news, and convenient truths, it has become nearly impossible to establish anything that we all could believe and adhere to. When people start questioning mathematics, nothing else will ever hold water. I mean, if one unit plus one unit equals two units, as in 1+1 = 2 is up for debate, truth is actually dead and everything else in our material world are mere suggestions and theories.
Can we blame science given that throughout the ages its truths have been disputed, reinvestigated, and replaced? How about mathematics? Can we put an end to the idea that mathematical truths are absolute? Consider the geocentric theory that was deemed absolute in the early years of our civilization. Not until Galileo and Copernicus challenged that and eventually overturned it did we have a correct sense of the order of our solar system. But is it really true? Is the sun really the center of our galaxy?
Truth is the result of the agreement between the mind and the observable reality in which it participates in. It is important to note that agreement here is not the same as “confirmation” but rather as an active event which creates the specific truth. In other words, the mind does not function as an independent checker or validator of external phenomena or material things that are already present in the universe but rather is part of the creation of the so called truth particular to that thing. Thus mind + physical reality = Truth. We should not limit this truth to mere definition of what the being or thing is but rather the full scope of it, including its purpose, its movements, everything. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, reality gives being its “Is” while the mind provides the “Ought.” Compared to other ideas about truth, this is by far the most complete and sensible.
Consider the nihilistic view of treating the human mind as an independent creator of truth, which is what mostly the flat earth believers utilize. For them the truth that the earth is round was nothing but a conspiracy between scientists and governments to mislead the common folk. They ignore centuries worth of experimentation, observation, and calculation because they think that these were all creations of these people’s minds. So if these people were able to create their truths, then they (flat earthers) can create theirs as well. But if you apply the multidimensional requirements of truth, their arguments fall. They start and stop with the “is” of the thing and neglect the “ought.” Why is it flat? How does it affect the things in next to it? The truth is clearly incomplete here.
Now take on the established truth that the earth is a globe. When the mind converges with observable reality after centuries of observation, experiments, calculations, it creates the whole truth complete with definition, purpose, relationship, and understanding.
Since we all live in a dangerous time when truths are twisted and torn to suit agendas and ideologies, it’s important to put in a lot of effort to make sure that we get the entire picture. Read, observe, measure, test, discuss, investigate everything that comes your way.
I actually started doing this and I am already reaping the benefits. Now, I am having serious doubts about the WWE and professional wresting as a whole.