Digital Truths

Fernando Pessoa tells us that “The search for truth - be it the subjective truth of conviction, the objective truth of reality, or the social truth of money or power - always brings with it, if one employs those who deserve the prize, the ultimate knowledge of its non-existence.” (1)

This dense reflection, lost in the tangles of the Book of Disquiet, contains an extremely rich set of meanings.

There are many truths. They all coexist because none exists.

The subjective truth, which Pessoa says comes from conviction, differs for everyone. We all understand the world from our unique perspective, which we believe is true.

In objective truth, the events that took place in history don't exist because they are in the past. They ceased to exist at the very moment they happened. Reality is always and only the present moment.

And social truth, which is attested to by the powers that control the community, when it’s not fabricated, will mirror the subjective truth of those who exercise power.

In the digital world, subjective truths multiply exponentially in the information bubble generated by digital profiles. This conversion of our digital existence into profiles is a theme I've already addressed in the text “Digital deafness” (2), and as a result, each of us lives in a digital micro-reality where everyone is convinced of their subjective reality.

Digital objective reality, unlike analog reality, survives oblivion by perpetuating itself in the cloud in chaotic “Big Data.” Although it exists, digital objective truth is not one but unfolds in the unlimited production capacity of the algorithmic imaginary of the black boxes of artificial intelligence.

Digital social truths also reflect the diversity of powers installed in cyberspace. As I explored in the text “Comunidades digitais” (3), Big Tec are today's new truth producers. Social truth is whatever those who control social networks want it to be.

If Fernando Pessoa were writing this text, he would surely conclude that digital truths are unlimited, because they don't exist.

PDV

2025

#48k #digitallaw #digitalsociology #digitalpsychology #fernandopessoa #livodesassossego #truth #redessocial #profiles #reality

Notas:

(1)??? Fernando Pessoa, Livro do Desassossego, Edi??o de Richard Zenith, Círculo de Leitores, 2006, p. 82.

(2)??? ?“Digital deafness” in https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/digital-deafness-pedro-dias-ven%C3%A2ncio-cf0jf/?trackingId=WUSiO08FTFGfZz%2BNxipAIw%3D%3D

(3)??? ?“Comunidades digitais” in https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/comunidades-digitais-pedro-dias-ven%25C3%25A2ncio-yyauf/?trackingId=hC2I6fwYQqyHchAkuj34mg%3D%3D

This text was written with the help of the translator DeepL (https://www.deepl.com/ ) and the Grammarly corrector (https://www.grammarly.com).