Facts and Fiction in Media and Politics – The Moral Aspect of Truth

People seem fascinated by facts! Journalists ask for facts. Politicians ask their opponents to present them with facts. However, there are no facts; there is only the perception of facts! Nobody can provide facts per se, just their interpretation of facts. This stipulation is why any observation, aside from the sensational correctness, requires the moral inclination for honesty and truthfulness.

Both the most real and the most fabricated fact have to be perceived by and must pass through a human being's consciousness, which entails two inevitable consequences. One relates to the observed fact's material correctness; the second pertains to judging the context within which it appears. Thus, the representation of any reality inevitably involves two chances for arriving at a wrongful explanation of a perceived detail – misconception and misjudgment. Either an actual image/fact or a manipulated or fabricated image/fact is not – intentionally or inadvertently – recognized as such, or an original and authentic image/fact is – deliberately or unintended – misjudged in the context within which it happened.

As an example, let's look at the recent alleged chemical weapons attack on the rebel stronghold in Douma/Syria on April 7. The footage of children suffering from exposure to chemical substances was played over and over by Western media. The evidence presented was taken for granted, and nobody seemed to question the motives. The power centers in media and politics suppressed any judgment that would examine the strategic context and whose side the attack benefited. However, while there existed no meaningful incentive on Bashar al Assad's side to carry out the attack, the Douma rebels had all reasons to launch the attack and blame the government. They were facing imminent defeat in early April and wanted to turn the tides of war at the last minute.

 Their criminal rationale worked out. A week after the incident, which turned out to be a false-flag operation, the US and its British and French allies released more than one hundred cruise missiles on Syrian government installations. Political expediency, but not love for truth, dictated both the perception and interpretation of a so-called fact in international politics. Meanwhile, the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) verified that neither the government nor the rebels had used chemical weapons. There had been no victims either. The insurgents staged the whole attack to demonize the Syrian Assad regime further, have a pretense for an air attack, prolong the regime-change efforts, and push the US further toward military confrontation with Russia and Iran. The media has fallen silent and remains complicit with their governments covering this distortion and pretense for war.

With constant and almost ubiquitous media presence, not to speak of a camera in the hands of virtually every individual with a smartphone, one might assume that facts of life are more or less unmistakably verified in real-time. However, quite frequently, the opposite is the case. The blessings of modern communication technology and the sheer omnipresence of the media are misused. Ours praised open democratic societies will turn into a parody of themselves if the disregard for the truthfulness, the blatant corruption of politics and media, and presenting false realities molded according to preconceived notions of ideological expedience continues. Most news outlets, but even more frightening, intelligence services, and law enforcement authorities, as well as governmental investigative boards, have lost their credibility. They are in urgent need of winning back the trust of the people they serve.

As I have mentioned in an earlier blog-essay https://www.edwinseditorial.com/2016/06/truth-in-life-and-politics.html, citizens must use sound intuition and good judgment, in combination with inclusive and critical reflection, when dealing with so-called facts presented by political and societal forces. As sad as it is, nothing can be taken cum grano salis anymore in a dishonest environment dominated by practical convenience and seems to condone lying and cheating and the denunciation and demonization of diverse political opinions.

The moral aspect, namely the human volition to seek the 'truth and nothing but the truth,' must again become part of the reasoning of how we perceive and interpret facts. It will be the task of well-educated, critical, and truth-loving, and honest citizens to demand actual truthfulness from representatives of media and politics.

Truth in Life and Politics

In the classical theory of knowledge, epistemology, we consider truth to be the correspondence between judgment and reality, between what we think is the case and what really is the case. Finding truth involves perception and reasoning on the judging individual's part and pertains to a moral aspect, namely the human volition to seek the 'truth and nothing but the truth.' Is there a sincere intent to attain truth, or is there a mere desire to mold the perception of reality according to one's values and preconceived notions of politics and social affairs?

Social and political realities are not perceived by a bloodless technocratic entity, but rather by a human being socialized and educated, subject to emotions, and driven by interests and value dispositions. This specification of the human condition must have made Friedrich Nietzsche come up with his famous aphorism: "There are no facts, only perceptions." In other words, only if we cleanse our perceptions from those ingredients that could taint the objective perception and cognition of reality can we attain the facts of life. No human is infallible. And particularly when it comes to judging complex contexts of our existence, this ideal postulation might only remain an approximation. Notwithstanding, all human beings can potentially purge their judgments of truth-hindering additions.  

 

 To become aware of that verity, let alone overcome it, requires a certain level of philosophical erudition and capacity for critical thinking. It necessitates an attitude shaped along with the literal understanding of the term philosopher to be a friend (Philo) of truth/wisdom (Sophia). Not everybody has to be a philosopher, but everybody can avail of a particular philosophical inclination in the sense of being curious for truth and wisdom. 

But where can we still find the attitude of giving precedence to truth and objectivity over pride, prejudice, preconceptions, personal vanities and benefits, individual or group interests? Obstinacy seems to abound in all spheres of life and human interactions. Assertiveness prevails over insight gained from wrong decisions, painful experiences, and errors of judgment. 

To avoid admitting erroneous judgment and thus hurting one's sense of pride, doubling down on premises that have proven wrong and destructive appears to be the business of our time. In our day and age, the dictates of political correctness and affirmative action turn the notions of truth and objective realities into a laughingstock; facts don't count anymore; instead, only false perceptions serving unnatural agendas. In politics and personal lives, cognitive operations appear to satisfy self-absorption and personal gratification primarily. 

I need not mention examples here. The readers can find them in their personal lives and take a blunt look at their social and political environments. The scope of the described phenomenon ranges from gender policies to gun control issues, from the media's general corruption to the individual dishonesty of journalists and pundits, from the rock-bottom perfidiousness of political campaigning to the intellectual and moral decay that is taking place on the campuses.

Who and what is responsible for this deranged approach that seems to dominate so many hearts and minds? 

It owes to the disregard and lack of classical liberal arts instruction, as it has become ubiquitous in almost all fields of education. Only studying the history of ideas and the grand traditions of human thinking can provide for a substantial foundation of human identity. Solely this type of instruction is devoid of the ideological notions of contemporary social and political life. It is getting acquainted with this tradition, on whatever level of intellectual prowess and educational commitment, that instills a sense of morality that resides in the human being's conscience rather than the dictate of external expediency. This type of instruction and the knowledge that comes with it forms autonomous judgmental abilities and reflective competence that strives for objective insight and truthfulness rather than the satisfaction of individual or collective vanities and interests. 

While of significance for every human being, it is of paramount importance for scientists, politicians, physicians, judges, educators, military, and law enforcement personnel; in short, for all those who impact and hold responsibility for human's well-being.