Summary
In an article titled “The truth is a good” for INFOVATICANA, Randall Smith explores philosophical views on the value of truth within the Catholic Church. Drawing from ancient thinkers like Plato and modern scholars such as Thomas Aquinas, the author discusses the vertical dimension of truth—truth inherent in God—as well as the horizontal source derived through human reasoning and communication with others. The article emphasizes that while humans cannot fully comprehend God’s mind directly, they can approach knowledge by engaging with one another. This collaborative pursuit is crucial for maintaining a commitment to the truth. According to Thomas Aquinas, who cites Cicero and Aristotle, humans have an inclination towards understanding the highest truths through communal living. Smith criticizes the hyper-individualistic view of Descartes, suggesting that personal deduction alone cannot suffice for comprehensive knowledge. Instead, he advocates for dialogue and questioning among individuals to achieve a more accurate representation of truth. The author highlights how this collaborative approach is essential in overcoming biases such as confirmation bias, which leads individuals to accept only information that aligns with their preconceptions. To provide practical advice on improving one’s understanding of the truth, Smith recommends “May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit Our Biases – And What We Can Do About It,” by Alex Edmans. Edmans discusses various cognitive biases affecting human perception and reasoning, such as confirmation bias, which tends to reinforce existing beliefs. The article concludes with a call for the Catholic community to actively seek out truth despite potential challenges like skepticism or resistance from others. This commitment to truth is considered crucial not only for personal growth but also as an expression of devotion toward God, the ultimate source of all truth.
Key Topics
Plato, Aquinas, truth
