James Testerman - Veritas Americana: The Impact of Truth on Social Systems

Copyright 2020 by James Testerman.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

Cornerstone Ltd

P O Box 1154

Colville, WA 99114

Veritas American: The Impact of Truth on Social Systems, James Testerman

ISBN 978-1-7357791-1-9

ISBN 978-1-7357791-2-6 (e-book)

Contents

Acknowledgements

How does one begin to acknowledge all of those whom have poured into and made possible the privilege of addressing society on the issue of truth and what it means to society? The list is indeed long and this missive will no doubt pass over many who deserve at least some credit, but for the sake of brevity I have chosen to limit accolades to several components that must herein be given recognition for without them this work could not have been accomplished. First and foremost, I would like to express my enduring and profound appreciation of truth itself because truth alone is the requisite rubric through which pure analytics are conducted. I would also like to thank my parents, who taught my siblings and I two valuable lessons; my father instructed us to always do whats right, no matter the cost, and our mother taught us the value of education, knowledge, and wisdom. This foundation secured my path, a path which sought knowledge through education in pursuit of the wisdom inherent in defining what right is. This led me to the University of Washingtons Department of History where I learned the value of primary sources in investigative processes, and later, to my doctoral studies at Bethel University where I learned the importance of delineating between scholarly and non-scholarly works. I would also like to thank Kevin whose input and consultation on this project was invaluable. Last but not least, I would like to thank my wife Mary without whom none of this would have been possible. Her faith, devotion, support, and guidance have both sustained and informed the long process of bringing this work to fruition, and there is simply no way to express how important her part in this work has been; thank you Sweetie. In closing, to all who read this, a very hardy and sincere thank you. Thank you for your time, and for your consideration of what follows.

Set Up

The drama unfolding
the story, the plot
The weaving of mystery
the cinch of the knot
So masterfully authored
directed with zeal
No wonder were spellbound
convinced that its real.

We who view without question
are carried along
Influenced by inflection
and moved by each song
Our will and emotions
completely enraptured
Succumbing as prey
that is baited and captured.

Yet all is not lost
if we take time to query
To look from all angles
commit not but tarry

For all is not solid
as seeming to be
To gaze from the side,
or the back, one will see

The walls are stretched linen
the corners just hinges
The seeming wood bannisters
styrofoam hinges
The halls lead to nowhere
the actors just mask it
The set - - a faade
and the fruit, purely plastic

With a strong wind of truth
it comes tumbling down
What seemed solid and sure
sends up dust from a mound
And its not hard to see
weve been hoodwinked, SET UP
Poured and ready, the poison
do I drink from this cup?

MT 1998

Introduction

Who among us wants to live a lie? How do you know that what you believe to be true is true? What have you based your understanding on? Where did that information come from? Truth is, was, and always will be the single most important concept in all existential thinking. Americas Founding Fathers understood this maxim, and that is why truth is the guiding principle through which, and upon which, Americas Constitution is predicated, understood, and secured. This is critical because the Constitution is the infrastructure within which Americas social systems disseminate the information requisite for answering the questions above. Absent an accurate understanding of truth, the US Constitution is rendered both meaningless and consequently useless. This is the source of Americas current dysfunction.

This book was written to provide analysis and evaluation of how changes in the definition of conceptual truth have impacted Americas social systems. It was written as a primer, and as such it covers a large volume of information in a limited amount of space. It makes the argument that peoples understanding of truth impacts how decisions are made. In support of this argument, a historiological survey is employed examining:

1) The impact of the great conversation on truth within the philosophic community.

2) The relationship between truth redefined and social institutions.

3) The impact of social institutions on societys perception of self and others.

The cultural context within which this survey is conducted is through the lens of four of the core institutions that constitute American culture and society: government, education, science, and economics. What the literature shows is that each of these core institutions has been dramatically impacted by the changes in the academic understanding and definition of the word truth. The amalgamated implication of these findings is that predicating macrosocial decision making based on the mores and ethics inherent in the redefinition of truth is detrimental to Americas social systems and her cultural social consciousness. This is the underlying untenable condition which accounts for the systemic dysfunction within every measurable dynamic of American government, education, science, and economics. If America is to truly progress, truth must be restored as the central guiding principle in all of her social systems decision making processes.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed

US DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

CHAPTER 1

At the Crossroads

What Does It Mean To Be American

What does it mean We hold these truths to be self-evident? Understanding this first, most critical statement is the key to understanding the entirety of the American Republic, and truth is the critical subject of the statement.

The Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States of America comprise more than just a system of government; they are America. Absent these two documents, there is no United States of America; there is only a collection of peoples living on the North American land mass. Together, however, these documents define in concrete terms those most basic universal laws of humanity which serve to create a set of principles and standards, a culture (Rosen 2006), not just for Americas government, but for every man, woman, child, business, corporation or association as well. In other words, if they, you, or it exists in the United States these are the principles and standards to be followed. These organizational principles and standards are not merely suggestions; they are the law of the land. However, an examination of the country today reveals that following these laws is no longer the norm, but rather the exception. Sadly, what this means is that the country that Alexis De Tocqueville exulted as exceptional in his work Democracy in America, is very quickly becoming unexceptional. That being said, America is by no means past the point of no return, its exceptionalism can be restored, but it will first require an understanding of how and why it has been lost. Accomplishing this will require identifying the underlying problem and then exploring how the problem came to be. Once the problem is clearly defined, taking an objective look at how the problem has affected various sectors of society will lead to a deeper understanding of the current condition of the country. This in turn, will allow for an informed assessment of these issues with an eye toward reversing Americas present slide into ignominy, thus restoring De Tocquevilles exceptionalism, and ultimately redeeming the social fabric of the nation, and it all hinges upon how Americans understand that most important of words Truth!