Truth and Trust

Reality is, um…. real. To assert otherwise is not only one of the principal markers of insanity, but is highly corrosive to human society. It is with good reason that a liar is held in nearly as low esteem as a traitor, as both acts entail a violation of trust, and trust is foundational to human relations.

This is not to say that anyone has direct access to objective reality, because so far it seems that is impossible, but the heart of what makes an enterprise such as science possible is that there *is* such a reality, and there are plenty of hints both direct and indirect, gross and subtle, as to what that reality may be.

It requires a certain strength and character to accept that in this universe, not anything goes. That nature has a nature quite often clashes with what human beings seem to want to believe, to comfort ourselves from the anxious apprehension of our vulnerability, or for aesthetic reasons derived from our sense of beauty and order, or any of a number of motivations. What made science so radical and controversial is that it requires us to have to courage to accept reality as it is, and not how we wish it to be. Not even trained scientists always succeed in this endeavor, but science as an overall process has shown a considerable capacity for integrity and self-correction — far more so, I think, than any other human domain.

In light of current events and recent trends, I have pledged to myself to work even harder at nurturing my own intellectual integrity — to recognize errors I have made in fact or reasoning, no matter how injurious to my pride. And I pledge also to not be timid about pointing out fault in others. I believe this to be one of my most important duties as a citizen of modern civilization, for once again we have seen what sorrows can come when the truth is denied or trampled upon, when people do not stand up for what is real.

I do not mean to say that all of human values and beliefs can be placed on an objective footing, or that ethics and morality can be reduced to formulae or algorithms. But empirically verifiable facts are sacrosanct, just as important as the good faith to be honest and fair. So I pledge to know the difference, when mine is only an opinion, and to allow room for other such opinions when they do seem to be offered in good faith and predicated on relevant facts as rules of reasoning. America’s salvation, if there is to be one, must entail honoring the truth as one of our most important possessions.