The Luminaries Truth Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

'I contend that there are no whole truths, there are only pertinent truths—and pertinence, you must agree, is always a matter of perspective. I do not believe that any one of you has perjured himself in any way tonight. I trust that you have given me the truth, and nothing but the truth. But your perspectives are very many, and you will forgive me if I do not take your tale for something whole' (I.9.169).

Despite the fact that he's already gotten into trouble for suggesting that information might get a bit garbled third-hand, Moody sticks to his guns in suggesting that truth itself (as a concept) might be a bit more slippery than the men would like to admit. He is quick to say he doesn't think any of the men has lied…but he clarifies that he doesn't necessarily think they've told the "truth," in his sense, either.

Quote #5

So I am to be the unraveler, Moody thought. The detective: that is the role I am to play (I.12.41).

After everyone in the Crown smoking room has had a chance to give Moody their perspective on the mysteries that were the subject of their conference, he realizes that it's going to be his job to "unravel" the big ball of tales that just fell in his lap—and to try to get to the "truth" or truths at the bottom of it.

Quote #6

Moody looked embarrassed. He had faith in the analytic properties of reason: he believed in logic with the same calm conviction with which he believed in his ability to perceive it. Truth, for him, could be perfected, and a perfect truth was always utterly beautiful and entirely clear. We have mentioned already that Moody had no religion—and therefore did not perceive truth in mystery, in the inexplicable and unexplained, in those mists that clouded one's scientific perception as the material cloud now obscured the Hokitika sky (I.12.113).

Although he's just said that truth is relational, Moody believes that he can personally access some kind of "perfected" truth ("for him") using reason and analysis. However, he has also just told the men about the apparition he saw on the Godspeed—that is, the man who started bleeding profusely for no reason—which seems to defy logical explanation. So, his philosophies of truth and reason seem to have taken a hit there, and he's hard pressed to use them to explain what he saw.