I guess I should rephrse my point. I am talking about truth in terms of religion, faith, moral rights and wrongs. I may have my belief set, but that is defined by my upbringing, culture, etc. We perceive things to be universally true due to our perception of things, albeit limited. I still ask though...are they true? Are what we see and observe, etc...really true, or is it...merely what we perceive to be true. This goes for my belief. The only thing we can be sure of being true, is that...due to our perception...we don't know, and can only go with our best guess/observations, et al.
Dealing with the bold statement first. There are many political alternatives in the world (monarchy, Fascisim, communism, democrarcy ect ect) this doesn't mean someone growing up in the midst of one of those systems is unable to see that some forms of government are better than others. What if we tell a Marxist or a conservative Republican that if he had been raised in Nazi Germany, he would have belonged to the Hitler Youth? He will probably agree but ask what your point is. What is the point of this analogy? Just because a diversity of political options has existed in the history of the world doesn’t obstruct us from evaluating one political system as superior to its rivals. Just because there have been many political systems and we could have grown up in an alternate, inferior political system doesn’t mean we are arrogant for believing one is simply better. That kind of evaluation isn’t arrogant or presumptuous.
How do you know that you're correct? Even though you claim that others don't know the 'Ultimate Reality' as it really is. You sort of implied that you do. To say that the 'Ultimate Reality' can't be known is to make at least one statement of knowledge.
If we can’t know Reality as It really is, why think one exists at all? Why not simply try to explain religions/politics as purely human or cultural manifestations without being anything more?
I guess I should rephrase my point. I am talking about truth in terms of religion, faith, moral rights and wrongs. I may have my belief set, but that is defined by my upbringing, culture, etc. We perceive things to be universally true due to our perception of things, albeit limited. I still ask though...are they true? Are what we see and observe, etc...really true, or is it...merely what we perceive to be true. This goes for my belief. The only thing we can be sure of being true, is that...due to our perception...we don't know, and can only go with our best guess/observations, et al.
This goes back to my original statement: 'Something isn't true just because it works that's called pragmatism; neither is it true just because it feels good which is subjective nor is it true just because its 'my truth.' (that's relativism) Futhermore, truth is something that corresponds to reality therefore it does not yield to size and strength of the latest lobby group or popular demand. Truth is more than merely just a matter of opinion or preference. Something is true even if everyone denies it.'
You can not perceive germs (without external help) yet you can feel their affect if they are able to take over your body. If someone has AIDs even though you can't tell that they have AIDs (nor may that person they themselves know as well) nor can you perceive or see the AIDs virus doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If you get AIDs (which I hope you don't) you may not know or perceive that you have YET it can lead to your death (Yes, I understands that AIDs usually allows other illness to kill you).
Truth is not always what we perceive hence why I've used the oxygen example. You can believe that oxygen doesn't exist yet it doesn't stop it from existing. Truth goes beyond what we see. Why? Because it pertains to reality.
"We perceive things to be universally true due to our perception of things, albeit limited. I still ask though...are they true?"
If I have 10 apples and then I eat 3 apples. I will always have 7 apples. It doesn't matter where I'm at. I could be in China guess what? I'll still have 7 apples. I could be on the moon (hopefully I have some type of oxygen producing unit because if I don't I'll die whether I believe or don't believe in oxygen) and I'll still have 7 apples. That's truth. Even if someone tries to agrue that I have 10 apples still the proof still points to the fact I have 7 apples no matter what I or anyone else says or states.
Relativism and Pluralism, are both illogical. You can’t in the same breath say, “Nothing is universally true” and “My view is universally true.” Relativism falsifies itself. It claims there is one position that is true—relativism!
