Week 2 - A Proposal Regarding Shared Meaning

In our discussion on Thursday, we explored the role of individual views and societal views in relation to meaning. While I’m a bit attracted to the idea that we can all tell our own stories and make our own interpretations, I have concerns about going too far in that direction. I think there’s some room for interpretation of literature and scientific arguments, but I think that it needs to be within certain limits. I see the "true meaning" as being like concentric circles: there is a small circle that could be agreed upon by all cultures and people (a universal truth), a wider circle that encompasses societal context and then a greater circle for individual experience to affect our interpretations. Without some universal truths to serve as a basis, how could we ever relate to each other, interact with each other and form societies? Even if we use different symbols, aren’t the concepts behind them the same? Aren’t we in some way all connected on a certain level and then the cultural and individual differences extend from there? Further, just because our views change over time doesn’t mean the “truth” has changed, it just means that our understanding of it has changed.