{"id":1951,"date":"2023-05-13T12:43:01","date_gmt":"2023-05-13T12:43:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gzanotti.com\/?p=1951"},"modified":"2026-01-21T17:52:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T15:52:24","slug":"relativism-falsehood-and-absolute-truths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gzanotti.com\/en\/relativism-falsehood-and-absolute-truths\/","title":{"rendered":"Relativism, Falsehood, and Absolute Truths"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This article concerns what I believe to be a misunderstanding of the concept of relativism by many non-philosophers. Relativism is, according to the definition from the Treccani encyclopedia, the conception based on the recognition of value only in relative terms, not objective or absolute, both in terms of knowledge<\/b>, its methods and criteria<\/b>, and ethical principles and judgments, all varying from individual to individual, from culture to culture, from era to era.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The author of this blog undoubtedly belongs to the category of relativists, not because he believes that absolute truth doesn’t exist, but because it is, if anything, unknowable. The misunderstanding lies in the belief that, if there are no absolute truths, then any theory and any belief can be true. Let me clarify that I am talking about knowledge in the world of phenomena, i.e., what we can observe, both directly and indirectly. I refer therefore to the realm of experimental sciences. In these, we can say that there are aspects we know for certain, others for which we have very strong evidence, others still where there are reasonable hypotheses, but not certainties, and finally things that are definitely wrong. To quote a classic and very well-known example, the earth is certainly not flat. This is not a matter of relativism or absolute knowledge; it just is.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One could object that physical theories also change, for instance classical mechanics (Newton), which was superseded by the theory of general relativity (Einstein). Who can say that one day there might not be another theory that will prove both were wrong? Well, this will probably happen, but the mistake in this idea is that Newton’s theory is wrong. It is not. Classical mechanics is not “wrong”, it quantitatively describes physical phenomena very well within a defined range of speeds and energies, while relativity encompasses classical mechanics and has a wider range of validity. What is different between classical mechanics and the theory of relativity is the philosophical basis of the underlying physical theory, but both are still correct (at least operationally), not wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This is even more true for medicine, one of the most controversial fields in the eyes of public opinion (indeed, that classical mechanics might be considered outdated by the theory of relativity is not only of little interest to most of the world’s population, but they are probably not even aware of it). In the field of human health, the environment, and more generally in all aspects that directly affect daily life, this misconception of the concept of relativism can lead to aberrant situations, as well as disastrous practical consequences, such as resorting to imaginary healers or rejecting proven medical treatments in favor of eccentric theories. An antibiotic is a compound that kills bacteria, or blocks their reproduction. It will have side effects, more or less severe, and should be used when necessary, but it does its job. A vaccine allows the body to prepare antibodies against a virus or a bacterium, and has helped to eradicate epidemics that have plagued humanity for millennia. We could go on for a long time with other examples. All of this has nothing to do with relativism and the fact that we do not have an absolute knowledge of all the mechanisms of the human body at the molecular level.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This article concerns what I believe to be a misunderstanding of the concept of relativism by many non-philosophers. 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