Absolute Truth — A real thing?

Ye shall know the truth…

Do you believe that there is only one absolute truth or an infinite amount of conditional truths? What do you think your decision says about your way of thinking?

Well, the obvious question that we have to answer here is ‘What is truth? And what makes something true?’

Truth is ‘conformity to fact or reality; correctness, accuracy’. Truth means that something is and that in its state of being and existing, it is one with itself. It exists purely and without contradiction.

Cats have just one tail. That is an intrinsic quality of being a cat: one tail. (If you find one with three tails, please don’t hesitate to email me). It is true that cats have one tail because that is the reality. That is what we know to be real since the beginning of time. If a certain man dies and someone makes a claim that he is still alive when he is in fact dead, then that statement is said to be ‘untrue’ because it doesn’t align with what we know to be reality.

The Theory of Absolute Truth

When people refer to ‘Absolute Truth’, they often times refer to a principle or maxim that encompasses all. They opine that there is some precept or law that governs everything about and around us and that thus makes it absolute. Others look at it as a truth or principle that does not change regardless of the circumstances that present themselves. A truth that stands outside of opinion and chance.

German thinker and philosopher Immanuel Kant came up with a maxim that most people over the years believe come close to such a truth. Kant said, “Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means”. This means that no matter what, one should never treat another human being or treat even himself/herself as a mere means to an end but only to treat everyone as ends in themselves.

Meaning if you set up a nice dinner with a lady just so you can get to sleep with her later, that’s a means to an end. The dinner is a means to an end (date with a pretty lady). The lady is a greater means to an even greater end (sex).

But one could easily poke holes in this principle. If you want to have dinner at home with your girlfriend, you may decide to order pizza and drinks. They arrive an hour after you place the order and the order is brought to your doorstep by a delivery person. By principle, that person is a means to an end because you don’t really care about him/her or what happens before or after the delivery comes. You take your pizza, pay and close the door.

So, personally, I do not believe that there is one absolute truth immutable to change in opinion or circumstance. Instead, there are an infinite amount of truths, some with rely on others and some which are independent and exist on their own.

What does my decision say about my way of thinking?

I think, therefore I am — Philosopher René Descartes. Whatever you think or believe concerning whether there is an absolute truth, a bunch of conditional truths, or even no truths at all, it doesn’t say anything about who you are as a person. It merely reveals your experiences, your moral values, your belief system and convictions. The only thing that really makes a Christian different from a Muslim is their religion. What they believe in. It doesn’t say if they are good people or bad people. If they are black or white, short or tall, funny or absolutely lacking in sense of humor.

It merely shows that they think and are capable of rational decisions. Like you.