When thinking about the nature of things, we are quickly confronted with the dilema of absolutism versus relativism. In many ways, a tension critical in the modernism versus post-modernism debate. I have always found the story of the six blind men and the elephant instructive in this regard. The story goes something like this.
Six blind stumbled across an elephant one day, and each described their experience after touching the magnificent creature. The first man said that the elephant was like a pillar, and the next said it was like a wall. The next said it was like a leather fan, and the next said it was like a fire hose. Another said it was like a great saber and the last man said it was like a piece of rope. However, they quickly started to argue over who was right.
Suddenly, the elephant keeper came over and interrupted their argument. "My friends" he said, "you are all right and you are all wrong. You each have experienced a part of the elephant, but not the whole elephant. The leg is like a pillar, the body is like a wall, the ear is like a fan, the trunk is like a fire hose, the tusks are like sabers and the tail is like rope".
Surely, there is an absolute reality, but the fragmentary nature of human existence means that we only see from our individual and therefore relative perspective. In this way, relativism and absolutism can be held in creative tension.
Six blind stumbled across an elephant one day, and each described their experience after touching the magnificent creature. The first man said that the elephant was like a pillar, and the next said it was like a wall. The next said it was like a leather fan, and the next said it was like a fire hose. Another said it was like a great saber and the last man said it was like a piece of rope. However, they quickly started to argue over who was right.
Suddenly, the elephant keeper came over and interrupted their argument. "My friends" he said, "you are all right and you are all wrong. You each have experienced a part of the elephant, but not the whole elephant. The leg is like a pillar, the body is like a wall, the ear is like a fan, the trunk is like a fire hose, the tusks are like sabers and the tail is like rope".
Surely, there is an absolute reality, but the fragmentary nature of human existence means that we only see from our individual and therefore relative perspective. In this way, relativism and absolutism can be held in creative tension.