Truth has not only occupied minds of philosophers in the past but has been a relevant topic even in today’s world. The quest for truth has led people into new directions leading to the redefinition of the term. Truth in today’s world is not within grasp and appears to be intangible. Truth has become elusive. Truth today requires thought.
Detractors to the above stand contend that the prominence of truth today can be seen in scientific advances. Scientific advances have made truth easily reachable. Modern world looks at everything today through the lens of science. For example, politicians of many countries have termed climate change as fake, but research conducted by scientists from all around the world provides evidence to show that our planet is heating up and the cause is human activity. Similarly, people revert to science to know whether poor diet leads children to develop obesity. Barring the ego’s of some doctors and scientists who have purposefully put out false information about health, vaccines and dangers from cell phone usage, science has largely been able to provide us with truths. Therefore, truth in today’s world is viewed primarily through the lens of science. The champions of this stand suggest that people today take an empirical approach to truth.
While the drums of science continue to validate what is true and false, truth today has taken the shape convenience. Truth today is spliced with lies. People today only tell the truth that fits their worldview. For example, someone reselling a house only reveals good things about the house without revealing issues about the house. Similarly, a car seller might only tell how excellent the car is but will not reveal the problems. People today only speak the truth that benefits them or caters to their interests and motives. Social media influencers also fall within this category, promoting a product or service for which they receive some benefit. It is not surprising then that people today reject any piece of information or fact that threatens or contradicts their perspective.
Although access to the internet makes it easier for people to find truth that fits their perspective, many are unable to tell fact from fiction. For example, people can find varying articles on issues of gun violence, immigration and politics but many are unable to logically and rationally digest the information. The bigger issue the arises from this is the formation of echo chambers, and hence the reverberation of misinformation and hence, disinformation. The social media troll farms from Moldovia are a prime example of how truth can be distorted, and how lies can impact an election. Therefore, truth in today’s world is based on convenience rather than objectivity. Some might go as far as to say that truth is based on herd mentality.
However, while truth has become increasingly subjective today, there are objective truths that exist as well. Objective truths remain true even when nothing exists. For example, fact-checking websites like Snopes and Politifact do present truth to the audiences. In a world where truth is subjective, fact-checking websites allow objective truths to be revealed. But despite such methods of validation, truth today needs to be sought and rationalised.
It is quite apparent that the concept of truth has become subjective in modern society. People believe only in the truths which do not contradict their opinions. There are only a few entities that believe in the objectivity of truth in today’s world. Truth gives us clarity and exposes the anomalies in the society. With the rising use of social media, the emergence of AI technology and cases involving deep fakes, the future of truth remains uncertain.