Truth (Was: Dogmatism...)

[Bob Blakely]

If ALL truths are subjective, then we are all without ANY common reference 
and communication becomes exceedingly less meaningful. There's the old story 
of the four blind men who happen upon an elephant. One is at the front and 
feeling the trunk, he says, "An elephant is very much like a snake!" 
Another, near one of the legs, puts his arms around it and exclaims, "No, I 
perceive that an elephant is very much like a tree. The third stands beside 
the head, feels the elephant's ear and says, "What? An elephant is very much 
like a large leaf!" The forth is at the back and upon feeling the elephants 
tail he is perplexed by the proclamations of his friends. "Fellows," he 
says, "You are all wrong! An elephant is very much like a rope!"

The elephant is the truth and it is not subjective. It is the perceptions of 
the blind men that are subjective. Each describes accurately and truly his 
experience with the elephant, but they are not the truth of the elephant. 
Because, however, there is a non subjective truth (the one elephant) they 
have now the opportunity to get together about their experiences with the 
truth as they perceived it and together arrive at the proper description of 
an elephant (the truth).

The problem with truth is that (by the nature of the word itself) it is 
exclusive. We humans don't like that. We're too narcissistic by nature to 
accept that we may be wrong about the nature of things. So much so that some 
exclaim, "There is no truth!" Which, by the way, is what we are really 
saying when we claim, "all TRUTHS are subjective."

I think I'll pour another glass of wine.
Regards,
Bob...
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

In a message dated 2/8/2005 3:21:51 PM Pacific Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Yeah, but if you steadfastly hold to the viewpoint that nothing is real,
what is there to debate?  :) Sorry Marnie, being a smart***.
Tom C.
=========
Another thing I never said.
I said that believe all TRUTHS are subjective. That is all I said.
And phooey. But I hate being misquoted. Bowing out... completely.
Marnie aka Doe