Chapter 4: Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I own the plot and the book!
Chapter 2: The Muggle Concept of Truth
Muggles link truth with a psychological aspect, they believe, a matter of personal faith and confidence that things are as they seem to be. Muggles also have 6 ways of arriving at the truth that Wizards have refined to fit our own needs.
1. Authoritarianism
2. Mysticism
3. Pragmatism
4. Rationalism
5. Skepticism
6. Empiricism
Now the Wizards view of these 6 things is a little easier to understand. When a Muggle talks about Authoritarianism, we have already figured out who runs the household, and listen to them above all others. Women/Mums.
Mysticism is another thing one of the few things that Muggles used to try to explain Wizards and Witches. Obviously, mysticism is an actual view upon our world, but we use more than voodoo to try to cast our magical spells.
We then come to Pragmatism. Muggles created this to show that an idea only works if they have seen it work. When magic was still in the world, no one believed it at first until the Salem Witch Trials, at that point, well, every Wizard knows the rest.
The one that makes no sense is Rationalism. This justification of truth appeals to a reason and taken then as knowledge. Someone can view the a shooting star, believe it is a shooting star, and then think they know everything about the sky. However, if a spaceship was to fly overhead, people would believe it was a shooting star because it is appealing to the mind. However, Wizards can see a spaceship, know it's a space ship and still not know everything about them.
After that is skepticism, which is taking everything as the glass is half full. Once Wizards were viewed as not a threat anymore, Muggles were skeptic about magic and found a way to prove logically how things were able to happen. False bottoms in Magician hats, cards up the sleeve and so on. When they had found a way to look at our world in a new way, we were allowed to live in secrecy and still be able to practice magic away from prying eyes.
Lastly is empiricism, it comes from the sense's experiencing the thing they don't believe in. Again, we revert back to the Salem Witch Trials as a reference on this subject. When a Muggle experienced the touch of magic, they believed in Wizards, which is why the Charms Team at the Ministry of Magic created the obliviate hex.
Hermione glanced up from her reading, she had felt eyes upon her, but when she looked around there was no one there. She had just finished the very short chapter 2 and didn't bother to look to see if it was in the Table of Contents because chapter 3 had appeared in front of her on the once empty page. She wished whoever had left the book had left a clue with it as well, but as far as she could ascertain, everything in it was 100% real. The Muggle view on truth was vastly different from the Wizarding one, and she could understand why. Who in their right mind would want to walk around knowing that there could be someone controlling them? It was just easier to believe what your mind wanted you to and leave it at that.
She flicked her wand at the books and sent them scurrying back to their proper shelves while closing the one in front of her by hand. If any other student had tried it Madam Pince would be beyond mad, but Hermione had special permission when it came to this treasure trove of knowledge. Placing the book into her bag, she gathered up the rest of her things and hurried out of the Library towards an awaiting Lunch.