To say a person believes in nothing but half-truths is another way of saying that person is wrong about everything. Many of the ideas floating around in the larger culture sound good and are often distantly rooted in some accurate fact or noble principle. But just as a debauched grandson has some of the same genes as an upright grandfather, something important has gotten lost along the route of transmission.
The Chinese philosopher Confucius had much to say about distinguishing truth from falsehood and the implications this has for life.
A Teacher in a Degenerate Age
The name “Confucius” is a Latin rendering of K’ung Fu Tzu, or “Master K’ung.” He was born in the middle of the sixth century B.C. in the state of Lu (present-day Shandong). He held several minor posts in his youth before rising to the position of prime minister. He was so effective as an administrator that a nearby state conspired against Lu, causing Confucius to resign….