that it exists at all. For example, if I look at a car and see it as green, is it possible that you may look at it and see it as blue? Our society names colors, our verbal expressions of the wavelengths absorbed and reflected by certain objects are labeled with certain color
names. Shorter wavelengths appear blue or violet, and longer wavelengths appear red. Even though we may not actually see the same color, the wavelength associated with it is the same, giving each color for every person a constant value. I look at the car, and I have been told what I’m seeing is green, and so have you, but the way your mind actually interprets the different wavelengths could be completely different. Thus we arrive at a common verbal truth through our perceptions, but still find it necessary to take a deeper look at if perception dictates knowledge in its truest form. Thus the dichotomy between truth and perspective beings, this constant truth through perception is ultimate either way you cut it. It is merely the raw perception of it that causes scientific and philosophical analysis of the “facts” as a necessary asset.
When it comes to finding truth in things that cannot be ultimate, such as religion, perspectives as well as perception are the ultimate creators of the quest for these truths as well as the constant drive toward finding an ultimate truth where none exist. Basically, what made the car green? While factual truths rely on ultimate truths, which only upon further analysis will yield infinite truths to each person who analyzes them. Religion conceptualizes through Ockham’s razor; the simplest answer in relation to the society at hand is the answer. Let’s say we live in an early society without religion. Now, though our society lacks religion, it has a set of moral precepts and has concepts at this point of what is socially acceptable. Idealistically speaking, we don’t murder, steal, kill, rape, and we adhere to the laws of monogamy. Religion is then created as a way to make all of these laws we already adhere to as moral the ultimate truth. If our society was one that
took part in acts of cannibalism and human sacrifice, the religion spawning from this society would reflect this way of life and dictate it as THE way of life. Thus, any given religion is dependant on the society in which it is created and their perception and perspective on what is moral or true. This perception catalyzed the creation of religion as a set of rules. Basically, all religions just solidified what was already perceived in their society as acceptable in order to justify it on a higher plane. Now, given that in the
society we live in presents various different religious approaches, our personal perceptions, experiences, and perspectives catalyze a never ending quest to find truths, but what we fail to realize is that all truth presented in any religion is just a product of the society which created it, ultimate truth is impossible. This leaves each aspect of every religion’s truth open to be decided by the personal perception of he who enters its realm. After a religion has been created, all who accept it have faithfully accepted it as the ultimate truth, and generally they try to push it onto everyone who doesn’t agree with its precepts. Thus it becomes tradition and makes permanent marks on the country/society’s cultural preface- making all who live in that society expected to believe the same codes of conduct and sets of moral standards. This creation of something as strong as tradition upon the mere views of those who primordially created these standards causes members of a society to reject their religions as society changes and religion does not. As the society is changing and the religion is stagnant, it creates a ravine between truth and tradition when ironically what used to be considered the ultimate truth created the very tradition which is being denied based on internal alterations. To simply come up with a new religion would be admitting the previous thousands of years of living according to the last religion were invalid, and once again negate the existence of any one kind of ultimate truth based on perception. This alone restarts the never ending search for the truth and even perhaps leads to the realization that the only ultimate truth at all in this realm is that through coming up with different personal interpretations through our personal perceptions and perspectives comes the only validity.
Religion does not deal with factual knowledge, it works around it; philosophy on the other hand goes right against it. There is a dichotomy between factual knowledge, religion, and philosophy. Infinite perspectives exist and so there are also infinite philosophies, but philosophy is not true knowledge, it is extrapolated knowledge from what you know and thus nowhere near the ultimate truth. It develops ideas through contemplation and thus is not only aided by but requires personal perspective. For example, even a philosophy dealing directly with perception itself depends on the philosopher’s perspective on the issue. If you want to measure how fast a human being can swim, you find an Olympic gold medalist. But where mental health is concerned, everything is researched using random samples. If you want to truly measure the extremes of mental health, find the healthiest people. For example if you want to find out how or why a person feels a certain emotion or doesn’t, than you find a person who displays the extreme condition of said emotion. Find the happiest person, or the saddest, or whoever displays the emotion you desire and use them as a guide. Use the extremes or “healthy” people as a guide to what we can’t find in ourselves. If left alone, one of these perfect examples or “superior perceivers” can dictate what those who’s perceptions are “inferior” will value in due time. So, if you were a superior perceiver compared to me, and we were isolated from each other, the books that you enjoy today, I would eventually enjoy. The amount of time it would take would rest solely on how much better of a perceiver you actually are. We are self-evolving, for we evolve based on what we value, which is dictated by our societies, which we ourselves create. So those who perceive “the best” will in theory write our futures for us. But then, the infinite path continues as it is left up to personal perception who perceives the best. Thus, the never ending search for any interpretation rests on the shoulders of perspective, which can only be found inside of ourselves.
The thirst for knowledge is driven from perception, even knowledge about perception itself. Deciding who’s perception is accurate depends on your perception of your society and situation which requires analysis of factual thought, religious precepts, and even a philosophical analysis of why you perceive what you do a certain way. All factual truths, religions, and philosophies are given and endless amount of validity and in turn an endless amount of internal truths to the contemplator.
