Relativity ?

 

  The Primary Elements in Our Internal Life

 The classic rebuke of Relativity.

 

 Many people like me, who think objective truth is essential, express the conviction of absolute or objective truth in terms of the classic distinction between intellect, will, and emotions or feelings. In this view, the intellect knows, the will decides and the feelings, feel. According to Plato and many other ancients, it is crucial that the intellect, not the will or the emotions, should direct the course of our lives. Indeed, the other faculties ought to be subservient to the intellect so that the intellect governs what the will decides and the emotions feel.

I think we all understand what dynamic Plato refers to here. Often, it does seem as though these three faculties conflict. Sometimes, we make choices that, in retrospect, we agree to be stupid, we admit that we should have subordinated will to intellect. Of course teenagers in love proverbially get into trouble by following their feelings rather than what they know to be true.

But there is something wrong with this picture. We know that intellect, will, and emotions are not little entities fighting among themselves in our heads. In the final analysis, it is not the intellect that knows but the person. Similarly, it is the person who chooses and the person who feels. “Intellect” is just a name for something we do, our thinking. The intellect is the person’s thinking, the will of his choosing, and the emotions his feeling.

So it is not as if each of these came to a conclusion independently and then tried to persuade or intimidate, coax or cajole the others to go along. Nor do these faculties compete to impress their individual or collective views on the person—instead, the three constantly influence one another. Our thinking, of course, influences our willingness and our feelings. We would like to believe that our choices are based on the truth and that what we feel about something is appropriate to what that thing is. But it’s also the case that our choices and feelings influence what we believe to be true. If I barrack for Australia, that choice will make it easier for me to think good things about Australia  and bad things about their opponents. So my will affects my intellect. Similarly if I have a warm affection for Australia, that emotion will also affect my beliefs and my choices.

That is the crux of my rebuke of relative truth. Comment if you will, add or amplify your thoughts. You are most welcome.

 

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