The Multifaceted Pursuit of Truth
In search of absolute truth, many cultures try to understand something that by its very nature eludes our minds. On one hand, traditions and doctrines often perceive truth as a multifaceted image that cannot be fully grasped by the human eye. Even the most sincere quests inevitably prove limited by our perception, as every culture and every individual views the world from their own unique angle. On the other hand, the foundation of these doctrines stems from pressing social needs. Here, truth does not appear as an abstract, all-encompassing concept, but rather as a tool for adaptation and collective self-expression, capable of serving as a guide for society’s life. Various historical-cultural models of the world indicate that there is no single, objective perspective on the essence of being – each of us perceives it through the prism of our own circumstances and life situations.Thus, the pursuit of truth takes on diverse forms, reflecting the limitations of human understanding and the need to align with specific social conditions. Teachings that claim to possess truth offer a dynamic and practical system of views, where the quest for an absolute ideal inevitably intertwines with society's real needs.
Why do various teachings of peoples claim to possess truth, and on what basis do they formulate their doctrines?Different teachings claim to possess truth because, in their understanding, truth is something unattainable by common reason and is subject to the influence of cultural, social, and psychological factors. On one hand, many doctrines are formulated as an attempt to capture an absolute reference in the world, despite the limitations of human perception. For instance, one source states: "How does theosophy define truth? 'Truth is a multifaceted crystal, and it is impossible to grasp all its facets at once; and… there are not even two people in the world who would view these facets from the same angle (even if their desire to find the truth is equally sincere)…'" (source: link txt).On the other hand, the foundations for these doctrines often arise from social needs and historically developed models of thought, in which truth is closely connected with societal usefulness and a means of collective self-expression. One source elaborates: "There is no single, 'objective' world; it is merely a social adaptation. Different types of past cultures revealed different worlds, and they were revealed in various ways... The criterion of universal agreement for establishing truth is not a criterion of truth, but merely a criterion of social usefulness." (source: link txt).Thus, different teachings assert their ownership of truth because their doctrines are formed on the basis of the limited human capacity for knowledge and correspond to specific social and cultural needs. They offer a system of views that, on one hand, aspires to an absolute and unattainable truth, and on the other, is justified by practical benefits and adaptation to specific historical-cultural conditions.