Berkeley
Seeking Truth
05/15/08 08:09 Categories: Theology | Philosophy
Maybe life is not so much about figuring out what is truth. Maybe it is more about figuring about what is false. There is little truth that is in any sense ‘provable’ in any ultimate or definite sense. Berkeley’s solipsism is difficult to refute, though I have never met anyone who actually believes in it. Even pragmatism does not function well as a decisive rubric for analyzing truth claims - there are a great many truths that are deeply impractical. The first that comes to mind is to love others as yourself, which truly leads to a better way of living life. At first, it is apparent that the most pragmatic way of doing life is to only look out for oneself, but the resulting life is disastrous (eventually). Nietzche’s Ubermensch would be another example - Hitler is not exactly the sort of person that few would morally tolerate, but according to Nietzche’s ethic, he is a perfectly moral character.
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