PHILOSOPHICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL DISCOURSE OF THE CONCEPT OF TRUTH IN ZOE HELLER’S NOVEL “THE BELIEVERS”

Abstract

The article examines the concept of truth in Zoe Heller’s novel “The Believers”. It emphasises that humans are the ultimate measure of truth, shaping the philosophical and anthropological discussions surrounding this idea. In the novel, this notion is conveyed through the diverse worldviews of the characters. Within the framework of studying the concept of truth in the novel “Full of Faith”, its cultural and philosophical discourse is clarified. At the end of the 20th century, truth ceases to be absolute in human existence; instead, it depends on a person’s worldview and experience. Thus, the late twentieth century’s philosophical discourse assumes that man becomes the primary bearer of truth and its semantic connotations, where the plurality of meanings is the only possible way of human existence. In the novel, the concept of truth is revealed at the linguistic and cultural level in the form of lexemes, the meaning of which constitutes the content of the idea of truth (‘belief’, ‘truth’, ‘verity’, ‘era of righteousness’). The characters’ attitudes toward truth and their methods of articulating this concept are explored. It is revealed that truth is primarily manifested in the communicative realm: speech, intertextuality (including numerous allusions and quotes), metaphors, and artistic details reflect the various philosophical, political, cultural, and religious views of the characters, thus shaping the semantics of truth. Additionally, the novel examines truth through the lens of other ontological concepts and phenomena such as untruth, ideology, family, love, death, faith, words, and identity. America’s historical and political context influences the multiplicity of meanings associated with truth in the early 20th century. The study concludes that in Zoe Heller’s novel “The Believers”, truth is complex and multifaceted, reflecting the author’s philosophical vision of the historical and cultural model of the contemporary world. This article enriches the literary studies related to Zoe Heller’s oeuvre and suggests avenues for further interdisciplinary exploration of the modern novel.