Living in the Post-Truth World

Jesus stood before Pilate and declared, ‘You say that I am a King. For this, I was born, and for this, I have come into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’ Jn 18:37f

The world in which we have been living over recent decades is spoken of as having entered the information age, and more pointedly, the age of ‘post truth’.

I attended the Keith Jones Oration in 1999 at Mentone Grammar School at which Archbishop Keith Rayner was the guest speaker. He later summarised his talk,

I argued against three common attitudes –

1. That truth is relative, not absolute;

2. that what is right for me is right; and

3. That we don’t need God anymore, we can stand on our own feet.

Under the first attitude, I suggested several reasons why relativism had taken hold. The first was the shrinking of our world, which was bringing us into contact with many world-views and faiths. The second was a reaction to cold rationalism. The third was our skepticism about truth and I illustrated this with spin-doctoring.

His talk illustrates various points that have left humanity struggling with how to deal with the flood of information in a world that has dramatically changed. Globalisation, computerisation and the internet, and analysis of the human mind are all primary developments in understanding the factors that have changed the regard humans have for the traditional respect for the concept of truth. Relativity is a scientific concept noted by Einstein that has been applied to most domains of life, hence, a fundamental concept in the current treatment of knowledge. It has shifted the human approach to the pursuit of truth. Humanity even speaks of a commitment to the world of virtual reality. The question of, what is truth becomes increasingly complex.

Sociologists

In their book, sociologist Gary Bouma The Australian Soul.[1] and Charles Taylor's A Secular Age[2], describes the gradual change in means by which people sought and embraced the truth.

Bouma described how in Pre-Enlightenment times truth was the responsibility of the King or Bishop. People behaved in a way such leaders instructed and it was believed they lived in truth. In the years that followed through to the Enlightenment era, the human capacity to reason rose to great heights and became the means by which it was believed humanity could determine the truth by reason[3] The mental-rational arguments for the ‘proof of God’ were at the forefront of human endeavour to convince others of their error. Theory was pitted against theory in the search for the ultimate expression of truth. As a consequence, division was exacerbated. To think incorrectly was to be wrong. The Church guarded this belief with great determination.

During the twenty-first century, with the expansion of the knowledge spoken of above, Bouma continues to outline how more prominence was given to personal experience shaping life. By the second half of the twentieth century, it was increasingly found that truth was assessed personally according to one’s individual experience and opinion. Individuality surpassed traditional experiences of community as the default approach to life. The world-wide-web was the great aid for people to disseminate their opinion or receive that of others. Such a change stands as a far cry from the traditional, institutionally-shaped religions where adherence to doctrinal formulas was faithfully upheld for centuries as the necessary guardian of truth.[4]

While many people are overwhelmed by the weight of specialist knowledge, the simple explanations of the media and its pictorial means of presentation have become the “go-to” source for information. Subtle images and catchphrases, to meet the limits of human attention, can easily influence self-interested bodies, institutions, businesses, or political ideologies. Far too often genuine informative discussion has encountered uninformed attacks by prejudice and self-interest lobby groups. Accusations of fake news are commonly used by many just happy to reject unwanted knowledge and the world has lost its bearings.

In his book, A Secular Age, Sociologist Taylor, has focused more specifically upon the question of spirituality in his description of the secular society to give background to Bouma’s outline and the reason for individualism in determining truth.

His thorough analysis of historical development over the past half-millennium leads to his description of society today. He outlines how, today, society has lost the previous simple structure while now being identified as a society with a conglomeration of communities, cultures, races, and beliefs, all of which interact across the spectrum of various lifestyles to form a pluralistic structure. Individualism has flourished and, echoing the words of Bouma, the search for belief and meaning is shaped by individual experience and therefore suitable preference. Individualism finds its support by clustering with like-minded thinkers. This stands in sharp contrast to the authoritarian belief system of past centuries.

Far from the hierarchical and authoritarian monarchical societies of the mid-millennium, the structure of society is now more aptly described as a contractual relationship between a collection of individuals. It is in this context that Taylor sees a society in which many approaches are pursued for meaning, hence its version of the truth. With such variety, there is often division and with division a fragmented society. There is little substance that unites all.

Media

The Guardian Newspaper of 18 October included an article by former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, speaking of the News Corp under Rupert Murdoch, who had lost the perspective of a creditable news company for it has become a propaganda lobbyist for the political right-wing Liberal-National Coalition in Australia. His mission is little different from his influence in the USA where Donald Trump flourished as President on behalf of the Republican Party. There is little question that Trump has become known as the most divisive and dishonest President of the United States. Since the election of 2020 contrary to some 60 court cases, Trump has perpetuated the lie that the election was stolen. There has never been such a blatant and open example of the rejection of truth in the Western world. It has been powerful, for both supporters and Republican members of the Congress have been willing to embrace the lie as a convenience in their pursuit of power.

Steven Hassan is a psychologist, who escaped from the Moonie Cult after several years of involvement in his younger life, to devote his time to caring for people who had come under the control of people using mind control. He has written several books on the subject, including the most recent one, The Cult of Trump. As delusional and mentally deranged as many psychiatrists have determined him to be – common observation has also determined that he is a pathological liar. What is of equal significance according to Hassan is that American culture laid the foundation for the emergence of Trump. Hassan describes the last half-century plan by conservative power brokers from the media, legal system, religion, and politics to shape the narrative and social structure of the country to eventually claim total and enduring control. The Christian Business Man’s Breakfast movement was fundamental to building the alliance. The truth was very secondary to power now in a world where opinion trumped personal honour and truth.

Clash of Cultures Science, Spirituality, and Conspiracy

Raimon Panikkar Catholic priest, academic, scientist, and philosopher writing about contemporary society and globalisation believes that the heart of the crisis of our time is the clash of cosmologies. At heart stand the two great cosmologies of science and spirituality when embraced as stand-alone bodies of knowledge. With such a mentality they have become locked in a narrow-minded world of their own.

It is worth recognising the new significant movement that is creating a third mentality that may be the birth of a new cosmology. It is Conspiracy in general, born of the Post Truth era. Born of disillusionment, and much personal powerlessness it happily wraps pieces of information in stand-alone packets and creates its new mythologies to promulgate its message. Myth serves well those who either can’t or won’t highlight sources or methods to verify information as factual. Social media and the internet have created a new platform for its opinions. It can be anonymous, unverifiable, subject to rumour, and full of outlandish stories. It shows no regard for the consequences of information. It might be said to be anti-society. The disaffected seem attracted to its, us against them mentality. The conspiracy movement, QANON is the most significant such conspiracy group at this stage.

Sacred Writings

Throughout history, societies have been built upon documents that summarised the essence of their foundational truths. From cave drawings to obelisks covered in relief carvings and hieroglyphics the essence of the society’s narrative was recorded with the intention to endure and guide. Treatises between nations, either in captivity or cooperation are recorded in similar forms. The middle centuries of the first millennium BC were significant for increased guiding records with sacred writings. For the Western world, the Ten commandments have been the foundation for the highest narrative and ideals of life. The Eastern societies were built upon documents such as the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, the writings of Confucius, the Tibetan book of the Dead, and the Vedanta Sutras, just some of the vital sacred works. Karl Jaspers thesis focuses on the years of 800BC to 300 BC, being the time of the first axial period that saw a mutational development in consciousness which brought about a new regard for the value of human life across much of the world and is reflective of the emergence of these sacred writings. During this time various communities developed their own version of the Golden Rule of love. It resulted in the Judeo-Christian tradition call to love God and one’s neighbour as oneself.

In the first centuries of the Christian era scriptures were written and regarded as sacred writings, the Word of God, and for most, without error. By the Sixth century, Muslims believe Mohammod received the sacred writings of the Quran.

Magna Carta

As the Western world developed in Common Time (AD/CE) the value of human life developed and found itself codified in the Magna Carta, a charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymeade, on 15 June 1215. For the following 800 years, it has influenced law around the world in countless societies, particularly the British Commonwealth, with its prime message that no one is above the law. Most famously, the 39th clause gave all ‘free men’ the right to justice and a fair trial. Some of the Magna Carta’s core principles are echoed in the United States Bill of Rights (1791) and in many other constitutional documents around the world.

The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights

The horror of the World Wars during the first half of the twentieth century produced such suffering and distress arising from human behaviour that the United Nations determined that a vital vision for all humanity must be documented and embraced by all to prevent repeat disasters. The committee represented most corners of the global community;

Dr. Charles Malik (Lebanon), Alexandre Bogomolov (USSR), Dr. Peng-chun Chang (China), Rene Cassin (France), Eleanor Roosevelt (US), Charles Dukes (United Kingdom), William Hodson (Australia), Hernan Santa Cruz (Chile), John P Humphrey (Canada).

On 10th December under the leadership of Eleanor Roosevelt, the United Nations Declaration for Human Rights was produced and embraced by its membership. While highly respected, the declaration has hardly been regarded as binding law even though its member countries agreed to it. Rather we can regard its declaration as outlining the moral imperatives that were agreed to by all members of the global community as appropriate for civilized humanity. To fail to keep them is to fail humanity.

As humanity manages its pathway forward as a global community, the value placed upon each and every human is vital for the highest form of life across the planet and the planet upon which we rely for our flourishing.

Most countries have endeavoured to capture the essential message of their sacred writings in their Constitution and Bill of Rights.

The minimising of God as the ultimate imperative that gives truth context

Truth has traditionally been associated with the belief in God as described in the scriptural reference to Jesus described at the beginning of this article. The sacred writings of all cultures carry the air of such a divine-human relationship, depending upon the beliefs of each tradition. Other documents are held in similar regard for the representation of the highest human aspirations. The minimising of belief in God has subsequently impacted the status of ‘truth’ across humanity.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Nietzsche declared ‘the death of God’ as a result of the developing philosophy of life in the emerging Modern era. His intent was really aimed at the other worldly ‘Godly being’. Many theologians would agree with him that such a concept needed to change, yet on the other hand, many felt his statement was an affront to the Christian faith. By the conclusion of the First World War, from 1914 to 1918, - one hundred years later after Nietzsche’s statement, such had been its horror on top of that of the civil wars in Spain, France, Russia, and perhaps the early American Civil War, belief and trust in God had been so minimised as the great protector of Christendom. The growing world of science was now stepping up as the new knowledge, that would usher in a world that offered humanity the brightest future. Darwin’s theory of evolution had surpassed the belief in God as the great creator Being. The new science of quantum theory was building a new world to usher in the great world of information. A man had stepped on the moon; media had grown to produce television and before long cyber technology had reshaped the world with its computerisation and world-wide-web. Rabbi Jonathon Sacks Rabbi writes of the secularisation of morality by the middle of the twentieth century as religion after religion faded into the background and moved to the margins of society. Secularism was king. Such was the volume of information now available upon the pocket computer of the mobile phone. Humanity is awash with information, such that the notion of truth has lost a sacred context for meaning. This has set the background for the post-truth world we live within. All is regarded as relative and what is important to people is their concerns, opinion, and choice. Truth is no longer of the highest ideals and is very difficult to recognise or obtain consensus with humanity awash with an overwhelming sea of knowledge. Buckminister Ford created the 'knowledging doubling curve'. One hundred years ago knowledge doubled approximately every century. Today it is estimated approximately every half day.

Humanity in Transition

The complexity the world appears to be dealing with results from many partial factors, but more importantly, it coincides with humanity transitioning through a period of major change, of a magnitude not known in any period of humanity’s history before. Merely one hundred years ago there was hardly a vehicle on the road. The telephone was just invented and available to none but a scarce few. Every nation was clearly a separate identity and movement between nations was minimal. Now the world is global with nations deeply intertwined within the way of life of virtually every other nation. This external picture of interactivity is built upon science that states that nothing within creation on either a micro or macro level is an independent entity. The deeper we look within any part of creation: physical, mental, or social, the world is seen to be interrelated. All within creation is interdependent. These truths could not have been countenanced one hundred years ago. A movement of scholars known as integral theorists has traced the history of evolution with a particular interest in the mind and its state of consciousness. They have traced its’ unfolding story, noting unexpected mutational shifts at various points leading to new primary capacities of the mind. Such major transitions speak of the development of the mind, from the primitive-archaic functioning to a magical, then a mythical, and eventually the mental-rational functioning. This latter dominant function of the mind we have lived with for at least two and a half millennia. Its capacity has created the extraordinary world we live within until finally, it has created a world that requires even greater mental capacities to meet the needs of humanity now arising. The corresponding display of consciousness to the new global world of inter-dependent activity is being spoken of as the integral capacity of the mind which is appearing in increasing numbers of people across society. Such minds can perceive that all is one in a dynamic unity. The fragmented perception of life may stand on the simplest level, but the new world of understanding recognises that reality is interactive and unified. Can we live with this grander picture? The complexity is that we are merely transitioning the change. People still function with the belief in the primacy of the mental-rational capacity with its primary characteristic of separating or dividing life into its most minute entities. On the other hand, others are leading the way in seeing life anew with the way all things fit co-operatively together. It is the dialogical experience that offers the fundamental pathway forward. In this period of transition, there is great tension and a sense of crisis. For some leaving the old is a betrayal of what they believe in, while others wanting to move forward are frustrated by those who lack the new vision. They do look forward but often without a clear picture of exactly the shape of the new. Their passionate conviction is that it is the only way for humanity to successfully transition to the future. The tension between the past and the future has been witnessed most poignantly in the present pandemic and climate crises

The implication of the place of truth in people’s life has entered a whirlpool of confusion. Transitioning from the mental-rational period where truth was believed to be discovered by right theory and its ideologies, to the new integral era where everything is spoken of as relative and inter-related. Humanity appears caught in a world of noise that deafens us to insightful and wise voices introducing an understanding of the one dynamic inter-related reality. We are left bewildered about how to speak the truth.

Fake news, lies, conspiracy, spin, and false advertising are some of the behaviours people employ to cope with humanity’s turmoil. The consequences are already proving tumultuous.

What is Truth?

If the world has been swamped by the tsunami of information overwhelming our lives, it has also had implications for the way we live and the qualities we value, and the way we prioritise them. When one feels overwhelmed, it is so easy to forget the ideals we aspire to and respond with desperation merely to survive. Like Pilate, we might end up asking, ‘What is Truth’?

How can one best pursue and live the truth in this new world we are transitioning to? The following will introduce some suggestions. Can we find a new clarity? I am encouraged by St John’s words from his gospel, chapter one. “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it”. (Jn 1:5) Integralist Jean Gebser, states humanity has always transitioned its’ period of crisis successfully before, hence there is no reason to believe we will not do it again.

The challenging question

The world of science has provided the leadership for understanding the emerging integral world. Quantum theory has replaced the older Newtonian theory, which was not wrong in the past application but with a far more comprehensive picture of perception now available it is inadequate for understanding the more comprehensive knowledge of the world in our time. The Quantum has reshaped our understanding. The corresponding integral perception of the mind reflects much of the quantum theory. All are interrelated. This means it incorporates the magic, the mythic, and mental rational as components of the broader inter-related consciousness. They are all dimensions of our comprehensive experience.

Regrettably, religious traditions have clung to their old ways and knowledge, shaped by the mental rational understanding to uphold their theoretical absolutes and now society has increasingly turned away from its’ explanations. Only by standing with the contemporary world of knowledge and respecting its insights can it reclaim its standing as the spiritual guardian and its pursuit of truth.

Global humanity can only survive as a dialogical humanity.

It is the dialogical dialogue that Panikkar describes as the experiential coming together of people to respectfully enter the life of one another. This enhanced experience of dialogical dialogue leads us into the world of the fulness of human flourishing. Perhaps a most relevant example of Jesus' teaching of the way of dialogical dialogue in the integral world was his declaration that ‘when two or three are gathered in my name there am I in their midst. Reflecting upon the two apparent entities leads one to see that with a more comprehensive awareness the realm of the unity of the two includes both, but shares a greater reality far more comprehensive than the sum of the parts, for this is integral.

In the previous mental rational era truth was perceived as a theoretical absolute and focused upon differentiating such truth from error. Attempts were made to compile a comprehensive picture of all reality. In the integral era, no attempt can be made for such an explanation of the cosmic whole. Wholistic awareness is a capacity personally perceived from within the mind. It is a particular attitude of ego consciousness. In an integral world, the voice of truth is a dynamic symphony, not a static absolute. It means that in the integral consciousness truthfulness, as an attitude of mind, is the important goal of life. Truthfulness awakens one to the reality of truth. It’s knowing more than a definition.

The mind committed to truthfulness is the mind that can know the truth.

A Pathway

Truth in the integral world will no longer countenance purely a theoretic statement. Rather it is known when entering an integral experience where the integral involves all that constitutes being human. In the integral world, truth is known more as an existential experience. From a broad range of both interior and exterior experiences, potent with meaning and purpose, one lays the foundation for truth through the resulting experience of the interaction of all domains of which one knows. People who are familiar with the New Testament scriptures will be familiar with the Transfiguration experience. It was mystical, historical, mental, and experiential. All realities were enhanced by one another to create an integral reality. As a guide to pursuing truth, we draw together knowledge, context, and personal perception. It must be verifiable, transparent, and unifying.

Knowledge

Humans are beings of knowledge who ultimately create narratives to bring meaning to their circumstances. Chief Data Officer of Forbes Tech Council Pascal Bornet, Author and Intelligent Automation expert and pioneer speaks of life as data, which our mind receives, sorts arranges, seeks to present in visually meaningful ways, and ultimately explains with a story.

The collection of data may be sensory, speculative, and intuitive through a range of human capacities. The natural drive to process such information commences with the newly born and proceeds through all states of people to the most gifted adult mind. This is innate to human life. The collecting process is broad in capacity. Raimon Panikkar speaks of the human propensity for three types of sight. The first is that of the senses, the second is of the mental functions and the third is contemplative. Wilber classifies the mind as always being in one of four states; waking, sleeping, deep sleep, and causal (contemplative). The data is collected and stored by way of memory. Depending upon simple memory or the complex multifaceted processes of our being we eventually build our knowledge. To be truthful one must be respectful of information.

Personhood

We build such knowledge through memory and apply it as we deem appropriate. However, this will not produce the same understanding and outcome for each person. The complexity of personality means we each create our own meaningful story. Our personal story creates our own bias. Too readily we project our own story onto new data for all knowledge is stored in our own minds. The journey of life encourages us to treat our personal interior experience with the continual need to examine the way we are functioning. It is the pathway to maturity and wisdom. To be truthful one must know we are living as vibrant transformative beings.

Context

David Augsburger in Dissident Disciples speaks of the community as the primary state of life. In the community, we discover the variety of experiences, perspectives, opinions, reflections, beliefs, etc., of others. All knowledge is only meaningful in context and needs to be considered in the context of others as far as the widest perceived society. Hence, it is never static but part of a global dynamic process of life. The sharing of knowledge in context is stimulative and enhances life and generates ever greater meaning. To be truthful one must be honest within our place in the community.

Transparency

The complexity of personality paints a picture of the human experience as a fragmented array of states of being. From gifts that develop, flourish, and mature with opportunity, to the diminishing experiences of fears and anxieties, wounds, and weaknesses, the conscious ego must manage the path of life. The journey to the fulness of one’s humanity requires the courage to be transparent to oneself and not afraid of vulnerability in the face of others. To be truthful one must be honest with oneself.

Verifiable

Perhaps the world of science is the domain that has emphasised the importance of verification more than any other field. Its mantra of truth requires processes for repeating experiments to verify the reliability of experiments. Knowledge enhances when it is shared and verifiable. To be truthful one must be thorough.

Unifying

Life is a dynamic inter-active complexity of spirit/mind and when approached in good faith, will reveal the unity of life and enhance the mind to primary qualities, not necessarily as static absolutes but as life-giving inter-activity. Christianity speaks of the fruit of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. They are not absolutes but witnessing qualities of enriched experience. To be truthful one must be honest with spirit.

Truthfulness

Jesus’ declaration that he was here to bear witness to the truth has for centuries been spoken of by Christians as an idealistic absolute. But I have argued that in the information age such an understanding needs to be addressed anew from an integral perspective. Knowledge as such is too complex, too comprehensive, too varied, and too inaccessible to be an ideal absolute. It is to be found in the heart and mind of all people as an attitude of ego consciousness. Commitment to the truth is a way of life characterised by a truthful attitude. Truthfulness can be said to follow the pathway of pursuing knowledge in context with the willingness to be humble in dialogue, open to review and verification, and forever enriching.

In the words of Jesus, ‘the truth will set you free.’ John 8:32

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Bouma, Gary D. Australian Soul : Religion and Spirituality in the Twenty-First Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Taylor, Charles. A Secular Age. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2007.

[1] Gary D. Bouma, Australian Soul : Religion and Spirituality in the Twenty-First Century (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 86f. [2] Charles Taylor, A Secular Age (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2007). [3] Bouma, Australian Soul : Religion and Spirituality in the Twenty-First Century, 88. [4] ibid., 90f.