POSTMODERN REJECTION OF TRUTH

The denial of truth requirements a statement of truth, the very thing that such a denial rejects. Oscar Wilde, in “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” claimed:

• I never approve, or disapprove, of anything now. It is an absurd attitude to take towards life. We are not sent into the world to air our moral prejudices. I never take any notice of what common people say, and I never interfere with what charming people do. If a personality fascinates me, whatever mode of expression that personality selects is absolutely delightful to me.”

These thoughts might be appealing but also poisonous. Wilde claimed that it is absurd to approve or disapprove of anything. However, in itself, this statement approves. I therefore would have liked to ask him, “Aren’t you now approving of not approving?”

Wilde didn’t like the idea that there might be definitive answers. Such answers judge and point out our failings and mistakes. However, we cannot say that there are no definitive answers. To say this is to give a definitive answer.

Nor can we fall back to the defensive position that "we cannot trust logic." Such a position is logically and evidentially unsupportable and puts the kibosh on all learning - life itself.

To illustrate this point, we can also ask, "Did you come to this conclusion using reason and evidence?" Of course, neither could ever lead to such a conclusion.

It is like a computer telling the software, "Go away. I don't need you." Besides, to reject statements of truth is to narrow and flatten our lives, reducing us to an animalistic, pleasure seeking existence. This rejection of truth is like trying to drive a car blindfolded.

BTW, Wilde later converted to Catholicism and repudiated many of his writings.