All truth is simple... is that not doubly a lie?
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
Some call the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzche, (1844 -1900), the father of postmodernism. His thoughts certainly continue to influence many postmodern thinkers and academics.
His skepticism about truth is common in our culture, both inside and outside the church. Though few actually have read or go around quoting Nietzche, their ideas about truth and knowledge are clearly shaped by Nietzschean concepts. His ideas seem particularly popular among academics.
But does his view of truth hold up?
"All truth is simple... is that not doubly a lie?" Like Nietzsche's view of truth, this quote is doubly confusing.
The two lies, apparently, are that there is truth, and that it is simple.
This fails the baloney test twice over.
One, there is truth. Nietzche presupposes truth in uttering statement about truth. He has to, or what would be his point in uttering at all?
Two, truth is quite simple. Truth is what really is. If you say something that matches reality, then it is true. Truth is quite simple, actually. I agree that determining truth can often be a challenge. But is the concept of truth itself hard? Nonsense. Truth is simple.
The sad truth is that many followers of Christ are so confused about how simple truth really is.
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