In class I feel that the terms fact and truth have been used
very loosely and are thought to be the same thing. I feel that facts and truths
each have their own purposes but are quite different. One model that greatly
differentiates fact from truth is the use of a lie detector. If the person
hooked up to the detector sincerely believes that what they say is true then
the detector will interpret it so. In my essay I try to describe how the
characters in Cat’s Cradle and The Things They Carried use their interpretations
of truth to create a reality that best fits their needs. One aspect in many
people’s lives that can be a truth to some but not others is religion. It
doesn’t matter if some people do not believe in your religion, if you have any
at all. All that matters is you believe it to be true and that it plays a role
in your life that you deem important. The backbone of religion, more often then
not, is not facts but rather faith. Now this relates to the books we have read
because from someone on the outside looking in at the Bokonon religion it would
appear like a bunch of lies and to be fake all together. However for the people
of San Lorenzo this religion brings them happiness and is without a doubt a
truth in their lives. My essay also tries to answer a question within itself
that I will present to the blog. What is at stake in recognizing facts versus
the truth?
I completely agree that there is a difference between a fact and the truth. Facts seem to always be the truth, but the truth is not always a fact. Such a relationship is similar to that between a square and a rectangle. A square is always a rectangle, but a rectangle is not always a square. As humans we categorize both of these terms under the cloud of what is "correct", but I don't know if that is quite accurate. There are definitely incorrect truths and incorrect facts.
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