I am I

Relativism, the concept that moral judgments and values are not absolute or universal but instead are relative to the cultural, social, or individual contexts in which they are formed is often misunderstood simultaneously that all moral or truthful assertions must be equally accepted, regardless of their origin or content. However, this assumption mischaracterizes the core of relativism. Relativism is separate from the claim that all perspectives are equally valid; rather, it posits that truth is always relative to the perceiving subject or cultural context. Rejecting another person's moral or truthful claim, then, paradoxically affirms the relativist view: my critique of their claim is itself an expression of my subjective truth. In this way, relativistic truth remains grounded in individual or collective perspectives, gaining broader acceptance only if it resonates with others. Thus, the idea that relativism necessitates equal validation of all claims introduces a fundamental misunderstanding.

A more precise understanding of relativism acknowledges a plurality of thinking subjects, but it does so without assuming a universal standard that governs all truths. Each claim to truth emerges from a unique subject. Relativism holds that truths are contingent, and shaped by individual perceptions. Yet, it still recognizes the presence of other perceiving subjects, highlighting that our truths interact and often clash, creating a dynamic and diverse landscape of perspectives.

Postmodernism, closely tied to critiques of objective truth, challenges the notion of a single, unifying narrative. It argues that our understanding of reality is mediated by language, culture, and power structures. While this may resemble relativism, postmodernism specifically interrogates how structures of authority shape our conception of truth. Without a shared objective reality, we are left with multiple, competing truths, each grounded in its own epistemic framework. This situation leads to two potential responses: we could turn to pragmatism, which advocates for practical frameworks that guide our actions, or we could consider another possibility, the growing isolation of individuals.

Consider a scenario where a human being lives entirely within a simulation, cut off from other human beings and engaging only with artificial intelligence. In this simulation, the person's understanding of truth would be entirely constructed by AI and the artificial world it presents. Though AI carries with it an entirety of history. In such a reality, preferences could shape perceived truths, altering the virtual world to align with one’s beliefs, making all beliefs true. For instance, if someone claimed the world was flat, this belief would not just be an assertion but a reality imposed by their isolated perception in a simulation. This self-referential reality where truth is rendered as we state it, removes competing truths, and conflicts that arise from competition. Objectivity forms, because there is only one subject and their truth.

It is essential to recognize that pure relativism begins in the consciousness of the subject, free from external influences. However, it is only through our interactions with others and the material world that our subjective truths are refined, questioned, and often reshaped. Already we are isolated at the foundation of subjectivity. Subjectivity begins in insolation. This inherent isolation at the foundation of subjectivity offers fertile ground for exploration: if we amplify this isolation by using technology to eliminate external influence, we could fully realize a world where truths are purely self-referential, unchallenged by others. With technological structures in place, our perspective of body, time, and material could remain within our own consciousness. Free from other subjects we could live in a vacuum of subjectivity, where our beliefs remain a blank slate for our own will, unchallenged and unconflicited. A speculative yet radical response to postmodernism would be to embrace this form of relativism by living in total isolation. A reality where individuals exist solely in personalized simulations. Each person would live in a perfectly curated world, engaging only with AI constructs and never with other humans. This transhumanist vision amplifies relativism to its logical extreme, creating self-contained subjects whose truths are entirely subjective and self-referential. We should embrace and run toward a world devoid of shared truths so that we can live freely to our own desires, uncontested by competing wills.