Earlier this evening I was in the midst of a group study session. How or why the topic came up, I do not remember, but all at once a friend of mine made the following claim: “all truth is relative, there are no absolutes.” Really? To this another fellow student responded that this statement could not be true. A claim that no absolute truth exists is inherently a claim of absolute truth. Therefore, if this statement were true, it would necessarily falsify itself. This sparked my philosophical side into deep thought. It’s not that this topic has never been brought before me – on the contrary it has often – it’s just that this time I saw things a little differently than I’ve seen them before. Thoughts that I have never heard voiced ran through my head lending deeper conviction in absolute truth. Despite the inherent self contradiction, this idea in the absence of absolute truth is widely propagated and believed (at least on a surface level. I don’t think someone could truly believe in this. For if they did, they would be believing in an absolute truth and thus not believing it at all). The idea that this conversation sparked that I have not heard before was this: if no truth exists then no lies can possibly exist either. A lie is the antithesis of truth. The definition of a lie is to speak falsely or utter untruth knowingly, as with intent to deceive. Without truth there can’t possibly be an untruth. To deceive is to cause to believe what is not true; mislead. If then there is no truth and there is no lie than there also can’t be contradiction since all contradictions have two opposing sides claiming truth – although each side may be right in some ways, after weeding through the inconsistencies on each side there will be one side that is claiming truth and one side that is claiming a lie. But these do not exist therefore contradiction cannot exist either. However, truth is the only thing that does not inherently contradict itself. So, if there is no truth than by definition everything else is a contradiction. But therein lies a problem – contradiction does not exist. If I were to question the student making this claim, counter-claiming that an absolute truth does exist. He would be forced to do one of two things: agree with me making the concession that truth does exist or he would have to claim my statement is false and that his was true. In so doing, he would perfectly demonstrate the existence of both truth and lies. This would most effectively nullify his original statement. There are two outcomes in this debate about truth: either truth exists or truth does not exist. The outcomes are mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive. If truth does not exist, the world is thrown into absolute contradiction. Yet contradiction cannot exist without a truth. Therefore truth must exist. Let me try to explain this concept of contradiction better for even now I am confusing myself. If there is no absolute truth then everything must be true. Everything cannot ever be a lie for lies cannot exist without the existence of truth. If everything is then true, there can be no contradiction because truth is the absence of contradiction. Yet given the premise of no absolute truth we can only be left with a conclusion of absolute contradiction. Therefore your relative truth is absolute contradiction. This brings us full circle for claiming there is no truth is a truth claim and absolutely contradicting.
I was reading movie quotes the other day and I derived the following statements from quotes from the movie The Oxford Murders (don’t watch it – not good). If no absolute truth exists than there can be no way of finding a single absolute truth – an irrefutable argument. Philosophy therefore is dead. Because, whereof we cannot speak, thereof we must be silent (end of quotes from the movie). Therefore, if truth does not exist to be spoken of, you cannot possibly make any qualified statements on truth, its existence, or nature. Therefore you cannot make the claim that truth does not exist.
Just some thoughts. I know they weren’t laid out very well but wanted to get it on paper while it was still in my head. Please give me your thoughts.
Lecrae: "Some folks say, “All truth is relative, it just depends on what you believe.” You know, “hey man, ain’t no way to know for sure who God is or what’s really true.” But that means you believe your own statement; that there’s no way to know what’s really true. You’re saying that that statement is true. You’re killing yourself. If what’s true for you is true for you and what’s true for me is true for me, what if my truth says yours is a lie? Is it still true? Come on man!”
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts Scott!
ReplyDeleteI like it, dude.
ReplyDelete"Absolute contradiction." If there's no truth, then it's true that everything is an absolute contradiction.
From Frank Peretti's movie, "Hangman's Curse":
Mr. Carlson “You can’t pray in school, because then you’d be imposing your morality on me.”
Elisha: “Ok, like now I’m not getting it. If it’s wrong for you to impose your morality on someone else then aren’t you imposing morality on me by telling me it’s wrong?”
Mr. Carlson: “Right and wrong should be left up to the individual.”
Elisha: “You don’t believe that, Teach.”
Mr. Carlson: “Course I do, and it’s carlson, mr. carlson. It’s my job to help you see that tolerating diverse value systems is an ethical position.”
Elisha: “So if some crazy terrorist thinks he’s right by blowing up innoccent people, can you say he’s wrong?”
Mr. Carlson: “Of course.”
Student: “Then you don’t believe that right and wrong should be left up to the individual.”
Mr. Carlson: “That’s not what-”
In other words, the one who says there is no truth, ought it fact to be silent, not argumentative, as is generally the case.
ReplyDeleteOn the nature of truth: We know of course that the Gospel IS truth. Check out this slide presentation I came across while blog surfing. You will like it, it is really good. Unfortunately, it is silent. It goes along with a message that I was unable to listen to due to internet filters, so I can't vouch for that. But check out the slideshow- it won't take long. It is http://pastortimgraceslo.blogspot.com/2010/10/sunday-slide-deck-guard-treasure.html