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The Value of Truth

I've heard some people say that truth is beauty, or beauty is truth, I'm not sure which. Either way, I'm rather skeptical of this assertion. I value truth but it seems to me that often the truth is an ugly, messy business that brings little pleasure. Conversely, things that are beautiful and pleasing to the eye often turn out to be lies and deceptions.

Take for example how a person puts on makeup to become more attractive, more beautiful. This is a form of deception because the lipstick, the rouge and the eyeliner all serve to obscure what lies beneath, the true appearance. Or take religion as another example. Religions of all sorts make claims that cannot be supported by facts, indeed they often run contrary to logic, yet they bring comfort to many people. Though they are not truthful they are still pleasing. They are beautiful lies.

Then, at the opposite end of the spectfum of veracity, take the example of death, hunger and pain. These are all realities of life. It is a truth that everyone will experience them at some point in their existence. Yet, very few people would find this to be a pleasant or "beautiful" truth. Rather most would consider these unfortunate or "ugly" truths.

Those who seek to know the truth must indulge in extensive examination of their surroundings and themselves and almost always this proves to be a painful experience. No person can spend much time thinking about their own life, their own character, without discovering unpleasant realities about themselves. Although I am not a Christian, or a follower of any religion, I think that Romans 3:23 aptly describes the conclusion that all honest self-examiners must ultimately come to: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We all have failed to live up to the ideals that we hold for ourselves and others - that is the ugly truth.

In his book Beyond Good and Evil the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche claims that it is unimportant whether something is true or false. He dismisses the pursuit of truth, simply for the sake of knowing the truth, as an endeavour that is both impossible and foolish. To him what matters is not whether a belief is true or untrue but whether it is useful or not useful. If a falsehood improves our lives then we should embrace it and if a truth makes our lives more difficult we should abandon it. This is a tempting proposition and it seems to me that many people do live according to this doctrine, although they may not admit it to themselves, but I myself have difficulty accepting it for it does not seem quite right to me. I have spent a long time thinking that the pursuit of knoweldge is valuable and it is hard for me to give up that belief but I shall try to consider the matter. Is knowledge worthwhile in its own right? Is the truth worth knowing even if it will cause pain and discomfort?

I suppose whether truth is valuable or not depends on what one thinks the purpose of life is. It also brings up the question as to whether one believes there actually is a purpose, or perhaps multiple purposes, to life. If one beliees that a higher power of some sort is the creator or cause of life then to answer the question of life's purpose entails looking into the mind of god, making it a very spiritual enterprise. However, if one is, as I am myself, doubtful that existence has any particular plan or goal then the question takes on a somewhat different nature.

Still, do not think that simply because I do not believe in some supernatural plan for the universe that I believe the question of life's purpose is unimportant. Indeed not. Although we were not brought into this cosmos with a purpose we can still find one. We are thinking beings and, as such, we can invent a purpose for ourselves, our lives. Of course, since we are a multitude of individual beings, this means we can, and do, come up with a multitude of objectives for our various individual lives. Some choose money, some power, some family, some love, etc. As well, some decline to create a purpose for their life and instead choose to live without one, from moment to moment.

So, having considered the alternative answers to the question of life's purpose, what then is the value of truth? Does it have inherent value in and of itself or is truth only valuable in certain circumstances? My answer would be that truth is, as a general rule, valuable, regardless of what your life's purpose is. Whether you believe in a god that created the universe with a plan, or whether you have created your own plan for life, you will need to understand yourself, others and your environment in order to make decisions about how to achieve your goals. Therefore, the general rule is established - the more knowledge you acquire, the more facts you have at your disposal when determining the course of action you will take to accomplish your life purpose.

It may be that sometimes you will discover a truth that is disheartening or that perhaps even goes contrary to your life purpose. For example, if a religious person, through the pursuit of knowledge, comes to the conclusion that there is no god then this will destroy his or her life's purpose. Or, for the sake of argument, let us consider the possibility that the opposite could also occur - that is to say, an atheist could, by pursuing the truth, conclude that there is a god. Despite the fact that the truth can sometimes be unsettling or unwelcome, it is, as I have previously stated, usually beneficial and therefore it is advisable to to pursue truth wherever it may lead, despite the fact that it may sometimes be painful.

It should also not be forgotten that we can come up with new purposes for our lives. If knowledge reveals to us that a previous life purpose was false or flawed we are capable of adapting and establishing a new one. True, the process of change will quite likely be a long and demanding one, for one cannot change one's understanding of the whole world overnight or easily but, with perseverance it can be done.