Relative truth

When talking about the term “Truth”, there are many different ways that people can see meaning within it. This is mainly because of the fact that truth can be reality for some people though not true for others. This led me to researching the idea of relative truth. Relative truth is something that describes the way that things are true for some people, though not for others. The journal I’ve chosen and read gives some very basic though applicable examples to relative truth such as saying “’Oysters are delicious’, ‘Roller coasters are fun’ and so on.” (Harth). These are things that one individual may find to be true, though many other people may disagree with. This shows that truth is something that is in many cases subjective to a persons thoughts.

An example of relative truth is politics. All politicians have their own agendas that are meant to better the general public. These are things that they will implement in order to create positive change and solve current issues. While all politicians essentially have different ideas and plans, they are all perceived as a relative truth that will solve problems, while others may perceive them as outlandish ideas that are useless. This demonstrates a real world example that is shown on a daily basis.

Harth, M. (2014). Is Relative Truth Really Truth? Dialectica, 68(3), 409–428. https://doi.org/10.1111/1746-8361.12074

Bacon for Breakfast!

Bacon is well known as a type of food that is used for breakfast. The combination of eggs and bacon has become the basis for traditional breakfast, but this was not always the case. Eggs have been a popular breakfast food due to how available fresh eggs have always been, but bacon was introduced as a breakfast food due to a partnership.

In the 1920s, Edward Bernays, a notable figure in public relations, worked with Beech-Nut, a packaging company that diversified into food production. Beech-Nut was looking to boost sales of their bacon product. “Bernays convinced 5,000 doctors to sign a letter recommending a hearty breakfast, and publicized this conviction in newspapers, with bacon and eggs presented as the ideal start of the day” (Hart, 2020). Beech-Nut’s sales of bacon increased and people have been ever since.

This idea that bacon is a meal meant for breakfast is not an absolute truth that is supported by indisputable scientific evidence. It is something that people believe because it is what they believe is the truth. This demonstrates how doxa can operate as a form of truth that is subjective and is shaped by cultural, social, and personal factors. If Edward Bernays had never worked with Beech-Nit and convinced those doctors, there is the possibility that bacon could be seen as a lunch meal, dinner meal, or even a desert. Who knows?

References

Hart, Karen. (2020). The real reason people believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Mashed.com.