The arrogance inherent to the human condition (PDF)

Essay from the year 2022 in the subject Philosophy - Philosophy of the 20th century, grade: A, Pace University, language: English, abstract: An essay on the arrogance inherent to the human condition.

When one claims to understand the world, there comes a certain confidence with that statement. How is it possible to have a belief someone doesn't actually believe in? By definition, it is a contradictory statement. So, each individual has certain beliefs which they have total confidence in. The sum of all individual beliefs of an individual form the worldview through which one perceives the world. This worldview, in turn, influences every single decision one makes.

This is better understood with an example. When one uses the word 'sun', it is pretty clear what one means. One is nearly always referring to the star around which our planet revolves. On the surface, it seems obvious. How can anyone think of anything else when you use the word 'sun'? However, there is a difference between the denotation and the connotation of the word. For each individual on the planet, there is a different connotation behind the word. That is due to the fact that no two people are the same. It does not matter if people are brought up with the same values, the same family, or even very similar genetics in the case of twins. The word will always have a different connotation for each person, noticeable in some instances and not noticeable in others.

For example, one person from a hotter part of the world might associate the word with feelings of nostalgia, while people coming from freezing climates could associate it with desire. The point being, this can be done for every single objective concept, thought, word. Hence, we have no choice but to believe that while there does exist an objective world we all share, there is also a perception of the world which is different for each person. Hence, the world loses all objectivity. Who am I to claim the sky is blue when to a colour-blind person it is grey? It is easy to claim the colour-blind person in this example is wrong, but why is the real question. Are they wrong because we can claim with certainty the sky is blue, or is it because to most people the sky is blue, and hence that is the truth?