How Do We Know What’s True?

How do we know when we're hearing the truth? For that matter, how do we even know what truth is? How do we know when we're being deceived? I don't believe we can know truth as individual pieces. I think we have to see a greater design, a greater whole, and then assess the pieces in terms of how they facilitate and align with the larger, encompassing design of life.

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Wisdom: The Design of Truth

Proverbs 24:3 tells us that “Wisdom builds the house.” We could say that wisdom is the design that knows how to assemble the pieces together in a way that results in harmony, in wholeness, in completeness. A "piece" of knowledge cannot be accurately evaluated apart from this overarching design and wisdom.

I have asked the question before, “What is the difference between a pile of stones and a stone house?” The difference, of course, is the order, the theme, the design that tells each stone where it belongs in the house. We won’t know a stone’s place until we understand and glimpse the larger design. And we cannot accurately assess people, facts or events outside of a bigger picture, a bigger worldview that has been assembled through wisdom.

"Truth Is Symphonic"

Hans Urs von Balthasar tells us that truth is closely linked to beauty and aesthetics. “Truth is symphonic.” In music, a note’s value is not determined by itself but rather by its role in the entirety of a composition. If I ask a piano player to play a note on the piano and then ask the audience, “Is this the right note?” you might be confused, because you can't know whether that note is right or wrong until you hear the chord that it belongs to, and you can't know if the chord is correct or false until you hear the song that it belongs to. Similarly, “truths” may be weighed rightly only as integral parts of a larger life—the Body of Christ.

Proportion proves absolutely fundamental to the very essence of life. Consider the intricacy of the human body, composed of eleven distinct yet interdependent systems, each vital and irreplaceable. The delicate balance among these systems illustrates the impossibility of substitution or redundancy. For instance, no increase in the number of kidneys can ever compensate for the absence of a heart, nor can an extra heart substitute for the critical functions of the liver. This harmonious interplay safeguards against the overemphasis of any single aspect, ensuring that each element is assessed not in isolation but for its invaluable contribution to the greater whole – the symphony of life. The true worth of each component is measured by its harmonious service to the whole continuity of life itself.

A Hierarchy Within Reason, Ethics and Aesthetics

My dad used to quote a philosopher by the name of Jonathan Swift. Swift believed that there is a hierarchy among reason, ethics and aesthetics. He believed that aesthetics comes first, followed by the other two. There are different ways to interpret the word “aesthetics,” but Swift used it in the way we use the word “design.”

On a first glance, this is curious. If I were to ask the empiricist, he would say that reason is the most important, then ethics and then aesthetics. The Christian is going to say ethics is most important, then reason and then aesthetics. But Swift said aesthetics came first.

This means that you cannot understand right reason or proper ethics until you glimpse the bigger design. Then the design of the whole will dictate to you the accuracy and proportion of each part.

C.S. Lewis notes, “You can’t get second things by putting them first; you can get second things only by putting first things first.”

Thomas Aquinas suggests that heresy often arises not from embracing falsehood, but from a disproportionate emphasis on certain truths. This echoes Balthasar’s view that heresy distorts truth by neglecting its aesthetic harmony.

Proportion is the critical demarcator that distinguishes the healthy enjoyment of God's blessings from the perilous descent into idolatry. The biblical account of Esau serves as a poignant example: he was not prohibited from partaking in lentils, an act innocuous in itself. However, when his legitimate need swelled beyond its rightful bounds, equating the temporary satisfaction of hunger with the invaluable legacy of his birthright, what was once a benign indulgence morphed into an object of idolatry. When our affection for or pursuit of a particular truth, concept, or pleasure eclipses its intended role within the sacred plexus of life, we veer into the realm of idolatry. Such an unbalanced fixation closes our eyes to the broader, sanctified context in which they were meant to be appreciated and experienced—the living, breathing, moving, anointed Body of Christ.

The Golden Ratio

The Designer’s golden ratio appears throughout nature, evident in the intricate patterns of seashells, the magnificent spirals of sunflowers, and the complex structure of the cochlea. This ratio represents a perfect blend of symmetry and proportion, revealing itself as God’s exquisite art form woven into the very fabric of life. From cosmic patterns to the minutest details of living organisms, there lies an inherent, elegant order—a dance of structure and form that resonates with the deepest principles of beauty and balance. The interplay between the aesthetics of nature and the fundamental truths they embody underscores the intrinsic connection between art and truth. Essentially, they are two perspectives of the same thing, each reflecting the other in a harmonious fusion.

Aquinas states, “Art imitates nature.” Art and truth are inseparable, aligning with Balthasar’s view of the interconnectedness of truth, beauty, and goodness.

So as believers or seekers, where do we start? We have to look at life in terms of flourishing of relationships, flourishing of joy, flourishing of faithfulness, flourishing of love. If that is our ultimate goal, then we ask what design fosters flourishing. And once we begin to see that design, then we can finally more accurately discern the elements. Once we know the song, then we’ll know whether or not the note fits.

– Asahel Adams