Fictionalizing the truth

For relativists, the line between reality and fantasy is easily ignored | Gene Edward Veith

If, as contemporary thinkers and educators are saying, truth is something we "construct," rather than discover from the outside, there is really no difference between reality and imaginative fiction. No wonder we are having trouble telling the difference.

The makers of Titanic spared no expense at recreating the period costumes, ambience, and engineering details of the sinking. But the filmmakers didn't bother to authenticate the human drama.

The movie portrayed the first mate of the Titanic, William Murdoch-a real person-as a cowardly murderer who took bribes so that wealthy socialites could buy a spot on the lifeboats, putting the women and children last.

Lt. Murdoch's descendants and his hometown of Dalbeattie in Scotland were properly outraged. The fact is, the first mate performed heroically in the crisis, saving dozens of lives and selflessly going down with his ship. Twentieth Century Fox responded with an apology and, out of its multi-billion dollar box office receipts, donated $8,000 to the town to build a memorial to the brave seaman.