Chapter 1: Understanding Objective Truth

The concept of truth is often taken for granted. We assume there are facts in the world that we can recognize and discuss. When statements accurately reflect these facts, we deem them objectively true, which suggests they exist independently of human perception. However, it raises an intriguing question: can there be objective truths within fictional narratives?

For instance, the statement "Superman hails from Krypton" is accepted as true despite being rooted in fiction. This fictional birthplace, while not subject to debate, highlights an interesting phenomenon: we willingly suspend disbelief for the sake of enjoyment. Fiction introduces a form of truth that exists in a space between the objective and the subjective, known as intersubjective truth. Although fictional worlds are imagined, they are accepted as if they hold objective validity because we adhere to their governing conventions.

This leads us to ponder whether the truths of nonfiction—like the assertion that the sky is blue or that water is wet—might also be merely intersubjective. Can we firmly maintain the boundary between fiction and nonfiction, or is nonfiction simply a broader category of fiction, as some skeptics argue?

While we instinctively categorize fiction as imaginary and nonfiction as factual, the two categories often intertwine. Fictional truths may be presented as factual, while nonfictional truths can be reframed to seem imaginary. This interplay suggests that our engagement with both fiction and nonfiction is deeply imaginative.

In fiction, characters may be unreal, yet they are crafted to appear real through literary techniques that create a sense of plausibility. This allows us to immerse ourselves in narratives that challenge the laws of nature. Fiction thus serves as a benign illusion, designed to entertain or enlighten us by convincing us of its reality.

Conversely, nonfiction begins with genuine encounters with the world, yet it is often shaped by our subjective filters and agendas. This can lead to a distortion of objective facts, as we simplify complexities to create a coherent narrative.

For example, consider the statement, "The daytime sky on Earth is usually blue." While this is grounded in reality, the words we use—such as "Earth" and "usually"—are embedded with human-centric assumptions that may not hold objective truth.

Chapter 2: The Interplay of Fiction and Nonfiction

We distort objective facts through two primary mechanisms: simplification via concepts and the pursuit of personal objectives. In our quest to tame the wild, we often forget that our understanding of objective reality is profoundly influenced by our subjective experiences and goals.

Imagine we are strategizing in a conflict. Our maps of the territory are not just for navigation; they are tools to gain an advantage. This metaphor illustrates humanity's ongoing struggle against nature, a conflict that has evolved from early agricultural practices to modern scientific endeavors.

As civilization developed, we sought to understand and manipulate our environment, leading to the Anthropocene—the era marked by human impact on Earth. Thus, when we refer to objective facts, we often harbor an implicit agenda: to exert our influence over these truths.

This dynamic extends to our linguistic representations. The meaning of "sky" and its evolution reflects a shift from animistic interpretations to a naturalistic worldview, ultimately empowering us to manipulate nature through technology.

Knowledge, therefore, acts as a civilizing force, illustrating that our understanding of "objective truth" is often a façade. We pretend to be neutral observers when in reality, our intentions are rooted in a desire to control our environment.

This pretense unveils a deeper comparison between fiction and nonfiction. While we willingly suspend our disbelief in fictional narratives, we also ignore the existential stakes embedded in our understanding of objective knowledge. In both realms, an element of imagination persists, but its visibility shifts. In fiction, imagination is front and center; in nonfiction, it lurks in the background, obscured by our desire for a sanitized perception of reality.

The first video, "What is objective truth?" delves into the complexities surrounding our understanding of truth, prompting viewers to reconsider their assumptions.

The second video, "What is truth, anyway?" explores the philosophical foundations of truth and challenges the viewer to reflect on the nature of reality.