The Two Great Threats to Truth
Moral relativism and fanaticism may seem to have nothing in common, but they lead to the same result.
In today's world, the pursuit of truth faces two significant challenges. The first threat originates from subjectivism or relativism, which denies the existence of objective truth. This concept, though abstract, has profound implications for our daily lives, notably in civic matters. While some may perceive relativism as a form of tolerance, it actually fosters repression rather than acceptance.
The second threat stems from the refusal to acknowledge our inherent fallibility. Despite our best efforts to be informed and honest, all individuals harbor false beliefs at various times. Even when striving for accuracy, we can still err in critical matters concerning human nature, morality, dignity, and destiny. For instance, we might believe we're on the side of justice while fundamentally misunderstanding what justice entails.
Our capacity to reduce false beliefs to true ones is limited but possible through intellectual humility, openness to critique, and enhanced civil discourse. Genuine dialogue recognizes the existence of objective truth and encourages engagement with those who challenge our convictions, ultimately fostering a shared goal: reaching the truth.
However, achieving civil discourse is arduous, particularly in an era marked by ideological partisanship, polarization, identity politics, and conspiracism. It demands overcoming our natural inclinations toward tribalism and emotional attachment to our opinions. Often, we intertwine our emotions with our convictions, making challenges to them feel like attacks on our identities.
While this emotional investment is crucial for accomplishing goals that require effort, courage, and sacrifice, it must be balanced with a degree of detachment from our beliefs. Overly entwining our emotions with convictions stifles our ability to consider alternative perspectives, leading to dogmatism or fanaticism.
Dogmatists and fanatics claim to champion truth but, paradoxically, jeopardize it by stifling freedom of speech and other civil liberties. They believe they have complete knowledge of the truth, rendering them uninterested in engaging with dissenting viewpoints. They view critics as adversaries to be vanquished rather than opportunities to learn.
Despite these challenges, people of goodwill—those who are intellectually and morally serious—share a common desire to uncover the truth, even if it necessitates relinquishing cherished beliefs. Embracing this reality means rejecting both relativism and absolutism, treating reasonable opponents as allies in our quest for truth, rather than foes to be defeated.
Written by urgent.news from The Atlantic's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
