The Philosophy of Common Sense
January 28, 2022
FROM “Have We Lost Our Common Sense?” Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty, Ph. D:
“Our culture and society today are decidedly under the influence of a philosophy of Subjectivism, an unrealistic, and even anti-realistic, philosophy which is both relativistic and pragmatic. Subjectivism is the result of the intellectual battle which has waged between the philosophies of Idealism (actually Idea-ism) and Materialism (or Naturalism) for the past several centuries.
“According to Subjectivism (whether Idealist or Materialist), there is no such thing as objective truth (truth is relative) and there are no objectively defined, universally true principles of moral behavior (morality is relative). This has led to the current situation which is permeated with intellectual chaos, resulting in disastrous practical consequences for everyone.
“There is little doubt among knowledgeable observers that our present age is on the verge of conceptual collapse. If Subjectivism is valid, then all truth is relative, and the laws of physics and the laws of civil society are simply arbitrary. If Subjectivism is valid, then morality is merely a matter of opinion and personal taste, and personal responsibility is simply a figment of our collective imagination. Subjectivism also undermines empirical science, undermines the entire concept of jurisprudence, and undermines any attempt to promote a human and humane morality. We are all subject to the whims of the moment and are all victims of the latest public poll.
“The only reason our culture and society have not totally collapsed is because there are still enough remnants of authentic Realism around to keep the present situation from falling into an intellectual “black hole.” How long this situation will last is anyone’s guess. This makes a solid presentation of the philosophy of Common Sense all the more important. We need to promote a philosophy of authentic Realism, with its principles of objective truth and objectively defined morality. If for no other reason, we need to do this in sheer self-defense.
“Keep this in mind: If there is no such thing as objective truth, then any – that means any – proposition has a claim to truth, no matter how insane or absurd. If there is no such thing as a universally valid principle of morality, then any behavior or human act of any type can be permitted, no matter how heinous it may be. Should this be the case, then we all will be subject to the latest social conventions, no matter how insane or absurd, and our pleas for being judged by objective standards of truth and morality will be for naught.”
