Activity 2.4: Pluralism
In anthropology, we often think about truth as plural (the opposite of singular). This is to say that truth is multiple, and every person has their own. The idea that every person has a truth, and that we can derive value from engaging with those who have truths that differ from our own, is known as pluralism. We can describe the way pluralism works this way:
I have a truth- The other has a truth
- There is an inherent value of interaction
Click here to read more about pluralism and watch a short video.
Please submit your answer to Canvas > Assignments > Activity 2.4: In your own words, how would you describe pluralism? Where have you experienced pluralism in your own life?
Another way in which anthropologists think about truth is the idea that truth is partial. This is to say that every person can see an important part of the picture, but no one human can see the entire world and universe at once. However, many humans together can combine their partial truths to form a more holistic (whole) understanding of the world and universe. This principle is discussed in this Buddhist parable, where blind people surround an elephant, touch it, and describe what they feel. None of these people is really wrong, but none of them has the whole truth, either. Combining their perspectives on the elephant will give them the best shot at understanding the whole elephant.
