There is Truth But I Can't Have It

Does acknowledging the limits of any one perspective mean that all perspectives are equally valid? This is a question I arrived at in the discussions following my writing about the relativity of any one story, religion or perspective. According to postmodern relativism, there is no truth, only a myriad of subjective opinions. If this truly were the case, then there wouldn’t really be any point in discussing different viewpoints. On the other end of the spectrum is the idea that there definitely is a universal truth. Often the people who hold this position are not only convinced that absolute truth exists, but they also claim to know what this truth is. I think we should be incredibly wary of thinking that we are possessing the absolute truth: In politics and religion alike such a premise almost always leads to fundamentalism and leaves little room for fruitful discussions.

The synthesis of these two positions, of absolutism and relativism, that I am proposing as a solution could be called relationalism. In this approach there might be an absolute truth that we may strive toward, but doing so is only possible through dialog and mutual understanding. Truth thus becomes something approached together and not something that can be held individually. In practice this means that I will often state my own viewpoint in a way relative to the other person I am talking to. If our viewpoints are very different and I were to state my perspective fully and directly without meeting the other where they are, this might lead to a defensiveness on their side - they might perceive my perspective as an attack on their story. What I can do instead is present an idea that nudges the other just a bit beyond their current perspective or raise some questions that might help them to see things from a different point of view. At the same time I try to open myself up to the other’s viewpoint and understand where they are coming from. This way both of us might leave the conversation with more understanding - and perhaps even closer to the truth.