Attention shoppers . . .

There is a theory in the search for truth called the marketplace of ideas. The concept is similar to our free market economy – you allow ideas to circulate and be debated, and the truth will always rise above other lesser ideals. The more I think about it, the less I believe it can work.

Think of it this way, the economy isn’t always operating in an ideal manner. Advertising convinces you to purchase things you don’t need. We place false or inflated value on items in a completely subjective manner. There are relatively few influences that dictate the outcome for the masses.

This is how the marketplace of ideas works.

The biggest problem is that the ideas are completely subjective, just like the prices of goods. We evaluate our surrounds and come up with “good moral standards” of how to function, but they are not necessarily true. The social giants spout forth lofty ideas to explain why people act the way they act (think of Nietzsche, Freud, Locke). There are people pressuring you to side with them, even though the small voice in your head is telling you that you shouldn’t be pressured into believing something.

The reality is we have a bunch of broken, messed up people dictating what truth is. How can we see truth come to the surface if we are all blinded? I’m not buying.

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