G.K. Chesterton’s chapter “The Ethics of Elfland” in his
book Orthodoxy addresses the
subjectivity of the societally perceived objective truths in relation to the
foundational truth of individual “visions” (Chesterton). Chesterton makes the
revolutionary claim that “the vision is always solid and reliable. The vision
is always fact” (Chesterton). At first, this statement seems impossible but
after reflecting on its relevance to the power of myth I see the validity of
the statement. I believe that personal perspective is, by nature, subjective
but subjectivity and objectivity are matters of degrees and are two sides of
the same coin. Just as cold is the absence of heat so too objectivity is the
absence of objectivity. The nature of this concept harkens back to the previous
discussions we have had in class regarding the ontological. What exists in
reality is very much based upon the ineffable, individual experience of the
person in particular. The stories we read, or rather the truths we come to
experience and accept, are based upon what we subconsciously but inevitably
choose.
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