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Writer's pictureEdward D. Andrews
Sep 259 min read

How Should Christians Respond to the Relativism of Conventionalism?

What Is Conventionalism and How Does It Challenge Christian Truth?


Conventionalism is a theory that challenges the Christian understanding of absolute truth by asserting that all meanings and truths are relative. This viewpoint suggests that language and meaning change according to cultural contexts, societal norms, and individual experiences. Therefore, according to conventionalism, there is no objective or transcultural meaning; truth is simply a matter of agreement within a community. As a result, it directly contradicts the Christian claim that truth is absolute, unchanging, and universal, as articulated in passages like Psalm 119:160, which declares, "The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever."


For Christians, the Bible's assertion of absolute truth stands in stark contrast to the relativism of conventionalism. Scriptures such as John 17:17, where Jesus says, "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth," affirm the Christian belief in an unchanging, divinely revealed truth that transcends human culture and experience. Conventionalism, by denying this, undermines the very foundation of biblical truth, attempting to place human experience and societal norms as the ultimate arbiters of meaning.



The Roots and Modern Proponents of Conventionalism


Conventionalism arose as a reaction to earlier philosophical systems like Platonism, which taught that language and meaning had an unchanging essence. Plato and his followers argued that words and ideas reflected ideal forms that existed beyond human experience. In contrast, conventionalists believe that language and meaning are entirely dependent on human conventions, with no inherent or transcendent nature.


Modern proponents of conventionalism include philosophers like Ferdinand de Saussure, Gottlob Frege, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. These figures have significantly influenced contemporary linguistic philosophy, arguing that the meanings of words and phrases are not fixed but are shaped by cultural and contextual factors. While they acknowledge that natural symbols (like smoke signifying fire) and certain sound-based words (like onomatopoeic terms) have relatively fixed meanings, most linguistic meaning, according to conventionalists, is arbitrary and determined by usage within specific cultural settings.



Symbols and Meaning: The Difference Between Conventionalist Theories of Symbols and Meaning


One of the fundamental aspects of conventionalism is its distinction between symbols and meaning. A conventionalist would argue that while individual symbols (such as words) are arbitrary and culturally relative, the meaning conveyed by a combination of symbols within a sentence is what carries significance. For example, the word "down" in English can refer to the feathers of a duck, a downward motion, a psychological state, or an action in sports like American football. These diverse meanings illustrate that words themselves lack intrinsic meaning. Instead, it is the arrangement and context of words in a sentence that convey understanding.


However, Christians believe that while language may evolve and develop within cultures, truth itself is not contingent on cultural contexts. This belief is grounded in the doctrine of divine revelation. God's Word transcends cultural and linguistic differences, as Isaiah 40:8 affirms: "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." This statement reveals that the truths contained in Scripture are not subject to the changing tides of human culture but are eternally relevant and binding across all contexts.



Why Conventionalism Fails as a Theory of Meaning


While conventionalism attempts to make meaning relative to human experience and culture, it faces significant philosophical and theological problems. Below are several reasons why conventionalism fails both logically and biblically:


1. Self-Defeating Nature of Conventionalism


One of the most glaring problems with conventionalism is that it is self-falsifying. If all linguistic meaning is relative, then the statement "All linguistic meaning is relative" must also be relative. However, conventionalists make such statements as though they are universally true. By doing so, they assume that their argument is objectively meaningful, which contradicts their own premise that no objectively meaningful statements exist. This self-defeating nature renders conventionalism logically incoherent.


Furthermore, Jesus' own teachings provide a clear refutation of this self-defeating relativism. Jesus asserts absolute truth in statements like John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Such a declaration is incompatible with the notion that truth is relative, as Jesus claims to be the singular and exclusive source of truth and salvation, applicable to all people in all times and places.


2. Universal Statements and Transcultural Meaning


If conventionalism were correct, universal statements could not be understood universally across different cultures and languages. However, this is not the case. For example, the statement "All triangles have three sides" is universally understood in any language with words for "triangle," "three," and "sides." The truth that a triangle has three sides is independent of cultural or linguistic context. This same principle applies to moral and theological truths in Scripture. For example, Romans 3:23 declares, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." This truth transcends cultural boundaries and is universally applicable to all human beings, regardless of language or societal context.


The fact that universal truths like "all wives are married women" can be understood across languages demonstrates that meaning is not entirely culturally relative. While the symbols used to convey meaning may vary from one language to another, the underlying truths they express are not subject to change based on cultural or linguistic differences. This reinforces the Christian conviction that certain truths, particularly those revealed by God, are objective and unchanging.



3. Truths of Logic and Mathematics Are Not Culturally Relative


Another serious flaw in conventionalism is that it fails to account for the universality of logical and mathematical truths. For instance, the equation "3 + 4 = 7" is true regardless of the cultural or linguistic context in which it is expressed. Similarly, the law of noncontradiction—a fundamental principle of logic—holds that contradictory statements cannot both be true at the same time in the same sense. This law is not relative to any culture but is a necessary truth that transcends all human conventions.


The Bible itself recognizes the importance of logical consistency and rational thought. In Isaiah 1:18, Jehovah invites His people, "Come now, let us reason together." This invitation demonstrates that God values the use of logic and reason, and it implies that the truths of Scripture are rationally coherent and accessible to human minds.


4. The Confusion Between the Source of Meaning and the Ground of Meaning


Conventionalism also confuses the source of meaning with the ultimate ground of meaning. The source of one's knowledge of a statement may indeed be social or cultural. For example, a child may learn that "all wives are married women" from a parent or teacher. However, the ground for knowing that this statement is true is not merely social or cultural but logical. It is true by definition, independent of the cultural context in which it is taught. The truth of this statement is grounded in the logical relationship between the concepts of "wife" and "married woman," not in the fact that a particular culture happens to teach it.


Similarly, the truth of theological statements is not dependent on cultural or social norms but is grounded in God's unchanging nature and revelation. Hebrews 13:8 declares, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." This statement affirms that the truths of Christianity, grounded in the person and work of Christ, are not subject to change or reinterpretation based on cultural context.



5. The Impossibility of Infinite Regression in Meaning


If all meaning is based on ever-changing experience, as conventionalism suggests, then meaning itself has no foundation. This leads to an infinite regress, as every meaning would depend on another meaning, with no ultimate ground or starting point. Just as an infinite regress is impossible when considering the cause of the universe (as demonstrated by the cosmological argument), so too is an infinite regress of meaning. Without an ultimate ground for meaning, all statements become baseless and meaningless.


In contrast, the Christian worldview provides a solid foundation for meaning, rooted in the eternal nature of God and His Word. In Psalm 119:89, the psalmist declares, "Forever, O Jehovah, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens." God's Word is the ultimate ground of all meaning, providing an unchanging standard by which all human language and thought can be measured.


6. The Inconsistency of Conventionalism with Theological Discussion


Conventionalism's claim that meaning is entirely culturally relative creates problems when discussing theological concepts, especially when people from different worldviews use the same terms but mean entirely different things. For example, both a theist and a pantheist might use the term "God," but without a clear and objective definition of what "God" means, the two individuals could talk past each other without ever addressing their fundamental disagreements.


For Christians, theological language must be rooted in objective truth, as revealed by God. When Christians speak of God, they are referring to the personal, transcendent Creator of the universe, as described in passages like Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." This understanding of God is not open to cultural reinterpretation or subjective redefinition. Rather, it is grounded in the objective reality of God's existence and His self-revelation in Scripture.



7. The Circular Nature of Conventionalism


Conventionalism ultimately relies on a circular argument to justify its claims. When asked for the basis of the belief that all meaning is conventional, the conventionalist can only offer a relative or conventional explanation. However, this leads to a circular reasoning pattern, where the justification for conventionalism depends on the assumption that conventionalism is true. Such an argument provides no real foundation for its claims and collapses under scrutiny.


In contrast, the Christian worldview offers a coherent and non-circular foundation for meaning and truth. Scripture reveals that God is the source of all truth and meaning, as Jesus declares in John 17:17, "Your word is truth." This statement is not circular but rests on the authority of God's revelation, which provides the ultimate ground for all knowledge and understanding.



8. The Logical Inconsistency of Surface and Depth Grammar in Conventionalism


To address some of the difficulties inherent in conventionalism, some proponents distinguish between surface grammar and depth grammar. Surface grammar refers to the apparent meaning of a statement, while depth grammar refers to the underlying meaning that may be hidden beneath the surface. However, this distinction assumes that there is a vantage point independent of language and experience from which one can discern the true meaning of a statement. Yet, if conventionalism were true, such a vantage point would not exist, as all meaning would be relative to one's cultural context. Therefore, even this distinction is inconsistent with the theory of conventionalism itself.


The Bible, on the other hand, affirms that God's revelation provides a vantage point from which we can understand the true meaning of life, morality, and existence. In Proverbs 2:6, we are told, "For Jehovah gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." God's Word gives us the necessary perspective to interpret and understand reality correctly, offering a reliable and consistent standard of truth that transcends cultural and linguistic differences.



The Self-Defeating Nature of Relativism and the Need for Absolute Truth


Conventionalism, as a form of relativism, cannot sustain itself as a coherent theory of meaning. The very statement that "all meaning is relative" is a self-defeating claim because it is presented as an absolute truth. Christians, by contrast, assert that meaning and truth are grounded in the character of God, who is the ultimate source of all knowledge. Scriptures such as Malachi 3:6 ("For I Jehovah do not change") and Hebrews 13:8 affirm that God's nature is constant and unchanging, providing an absolute standard of truth in contrast to the shifting sands of human culture and convention.


The Bible teaches that absolute truth is not only possible but necessary for a coherent understanding of reality. Jesus declares in John 8:32, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." This freedom comes from recognizing the objective nature of God's revelation and aligning one's life with the unchanging truths found in Scripture.


Conclusion: Defending Absolute Truth Against Conventionalism


Conventionalism, with its assertion that all meaning is culturally relative, ultimately collapses under the weight of its own contradictions. It cannot account for the universality of logical and mathematical truths, nor can it provide a coherent foundation for meaning and knowledge. In contrast, the Christian worldview, grounded in the absolute truth of God's Word, offers a robust and coherent explanation for the nature of reality, meaning, and morality. Christians are called to defend this truth against the relativism of conventionalism, proclaiming the unchanging gospel of Jesus Christ, who is "the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).



About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220 books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).


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