Added on 01/10/07
Early in this book Frankfurt offers a comfortable old Oprah Winfrey-type idea that seems absolutely true, that "no society can afford to despise or disrespect the truth." Everyone who believes this also "knows" Stone Age people lived in caves, George...
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Early in this book Frankfurt offers a comfortable old Oprah Winfrey-type idea that seems absolutely true, that "no society can afford to despise or disrespect the truth." Everyone who believes this also "knows" Stone Age people lived in caves, George Washington was the first US president, Jesus was born on Dec. 25 and Marilyn Monroe was a natural blonde beauty. The truth is none of these widely believed falsehoods are true; but, in general, to question them is to "despise or disrespect the truth." Let's consider another example. A century ago, dynamite was an awesome new and powerful explosive. Suppose a scientist of the era had said two pieces of a special metal, if slammed together sufficently fast, would produce an explosion equal to 10,000 tons of dynamite. How many people, scientists or otherwise, would respect that "truth" which is the essence of the atomic bomb? In that case, the "truth" would have been a reason for ridicule and rejection. Truth is relative. For many millennia,... See less
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