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Or again, it can be argued that no unbiased outlook is possible, that all creeds and causes involve the same lies, follies, and barbarities; and this is often a

Or again, it can be argued that no unbiased outlook is possible, that all creeds and causes involve the same lies, follies, and barbarities; and this is often advanced as a reason for keeping out of politics altogether. I do not accept this argument, if only because in the modern world no one describable as an intellectual can keep out of politics in the sense of not caring about them. I think one must engage in politics – using the word in a wide sense – and that one must have preferences: that is, one must recognize that some causes are objectively better than others, even if they are advanced by equally bad means. As for the nationalistic loves and hatreds that I have spoken of, they are part of the make-up of most of us, whether we like it or not. Whether it is possible to get rid of them I do not know, but I do believe that it is possible to struggle against them, and that this is essentially a moral effort. orwell, 1945

Rury 6y ago
I like Orwell, his fears are well justified, but it's statements like these which make me think he stopped short in his realizations (along with most people). I think Plato's arguments presented in his Allegory of the Cave, paint a clear picture of "the truth" and the nature of the human condition. Particularly by showing that "finding out the truth" always relies on perception/observation of the truth (science is no different BTW). Which is to say what we come to regard as the truth is subjective to our perceptions of the actual truth. Which brings up a problem: How can you ever be certain that our perceptions are nothing more than "a shadow of a deeper truth" and thus not the real truth? The only way of resolving this trust problem (at least until further evidence comes along), is by taking a leap of faith (ie to adopt a belief). Thus ultimately, anything anyone regards as the truth, stems from adopting at least one or more beliefs/assumptions whether they realize it or not. Fully realizing this, makes it so much easier to understand society, and why you can't always convince people using what you deem as "facts". Unfortunately, you may also realize how deep the rabbit hole really is...

Rury 6y ago

I like Orwell, his fears are well justified, but it's statements like these which make me think he stopped short in his realizations (along with most people). I think Plato's arguments presented in his Allegory of the Cave, paint a clear picture of "the truth" and the nature of the human condition. Particularly by showing that "finding out the truth" always relies on perception/observation of the truth (science is no different BTW). Which is to say what we come to regard as the truth is subjective to our perceptions of the actual truth. Which brings up a problem: How can you ever be certain that our perceptions are nothing more than "a shadow of a deeper truth" and thus not the real truth? The only way of resolving this trust problem (at least until further evidence comes along), is by taking a leap of faith (ie to adopt a belief). Thus ultimately, anything anyone regards as the truth, stems from adopting at least one or more beliefs/assumptions whether they realize it or not. Fully realizing this, makes it so much easier to understand society, and why you can't always convince people using what you deem as "facts". Unfortunately, you may also realize how deep the rabbit hole really is...