Mark Thompson
Aug 18, 20201 min
A Comment on Relativism
In this age of personal decision and opinion, we must clarify something. First, truth is only so if it reflects reality. The word truth means a statement that reflects reality. By addressing the nature of the topic or event, we explain it as it was or is.
Relativism muddies the water in that it mixes our tastes or preferences with opinion. Your opinion of the situation expresses your ideas for what the event represents, the motivations of the participants, or what the event will lead to. The facts of the situation are just that – the reality of what actually happened.
Some topics or sentiments that we live by are so universal and comprehensive as to extend to all mankind. We live in society only to the degree we live in common, in agreement with certain common objects or sentiments that can be in general appropriated to all (i.e. universal) – in that it makes every man or woman agree in the same opinion or same discussion concerning it.
Relativism rejects such commonality and takes away the idea for universal. In rejecting absolutes, the relativist, however, demands the same in their idea that relativism is an absolute! To even say that all truth is relative is to engage in contradiction. That statement either includes itself or excludes itself – either way it contradicts.