Perspective and Truth

Perspective and Truth

One's reference point often determines perspective.

If one is standing beneath an arc it appears concave.  If one is standing above an arc it appears convex.  Both are correct, from their point of reference. Yet they are opposites.  Here is the concept of the yin and the yang. 

Marie Antoinette made the famous statement upon being informed that the common people had no bread, “Then let them eat cake!” If one is part of the ruling elite, never having known hunger and is informed that the people have no bread it may actually be logical to suggest that they eat cake.  Perhaps that statement was made, not out of cruelty, but ignorance. From the perspective of those starving in such a statement could convey a total lack of concern. She lost her head. The perspective of the individual and one’s audience is of great importance.

Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen, 965–1039), one of the key figures in developing the scientific method, the emphasis has been on seeking truth:
"Truth is sought for its own sake. And those who are engaged upon the quest for anything for its own sake are not interested in other things. Finding the truth is difficult, and the road to it is rough."  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method 

Alhazen demonstrated by placing a straight stick or a taut thread next to a light beam, that light travels in a straight line.  Book of Optics (1021).This is true.  Einstein predicted in his theory of General Relativity that light bends in a gravitational field and that the amount of bending depends in a precise way on the strength of that gravitational field. This was also found to be true. Does that make Alhazen’s assertion false?  No. What is suggested is that truth depends upon the circumstances that are known. It goes to the opening remark about perspective. 

Truth is simply a concept yet it can be a function of perception.  For example, it may be said that the sun rises in the east and sets the west.  From a different perspective, the sun could be a fixed point, and it is a rotation of the earth that makes it appear that the sun rises in the east and sets the west. 

Confucius said, "when you know a thing you should recognize that you know it and when you do not know a thing recognize that you do not know it."  So is it untrue that the sun does not rise in the east or set in the west but that it was the earth's rotation makes it appear so? From a practical perspective, for humans on the earth, it may not make much of a difference. If one is studying science and attempting to understand planetary movement it is of critical importance.

St. Augustine is credited with saying, “The truth is like a lion. You don’t have to defend it Set it free. It will defend itself.”

Lincoln said. “How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.” Common sense is important.

Historically, people have died in the defense or advancement of a truth that they believed that may have not been so.  Some of the recent wars we have had on this planet have been due to ideology.  Pursuit or defense of the truth as perceived by individuals or groups is a powerful force.

By contrast, a lie is an assertion that is believed to be false, typically used with the purpose of deceiving someone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lie Lying is a cooperative action. One can lie to one's self. A discomforting truth may be replaced with a lie to make one have the illusion of satisfaction. 

“If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.” 
― Mark Twain  (except the truth)

Consider yin and yang below. One sees the dots only by contrast black on white or vice versa. A halo helps. The dots exist even if one cannot see them. 

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