by Peter Nicholson – St. Francis Xavier University Convocation – May 4, 2025
Chancellor Mulroney, President Hakin, faculty, distinguished guests, proud families, and most of all, graduates—thank you for the honour of joining you on this never-to-be-forgotten milestone day.
Taking inspiration from the motto of St. FX—Quaecumque Sunt Vera: Whatsoever things are true—I will talk today about truth and the need, as never before, to mobilize in its defence.
While my career has spanned business and government, my intellectual roots are in science. Like many of you, I was trained to look at the world through the lens of evidence and to shape my beliefs regarding what is true on that basis, yet always open to change in the face of new information.
Today, that worldview—what I would call the “scientific temperament”—is under attack. Not just in the halls of power, but in the cultural air we all breathe.
And so, in the next few minutes, I want to issue a call to arms—a call for you to mobilize in defense of truth.
Now I well understand that “truth” is a subtle and contested concept. Philosophers from Plato to this very day have debated its nature, and wondered even whether ultimate truth is forever inaccessible to the human mind.
But for a functioning society—and certainly for the practice of science and public policy—we have to operate on the assumption that truth is real and tangible, even if it can never be fully grasped.
Why do I say this?
It’s because truth, in the evidence-based sense I am defining it, is the best guide we have as to how the everyday world actually works. And because of that, truth enables us to foresee, as best we can, the consequences of our actions both as individuals and as society.
Therefore, we deny truth, or ignore it, at our peril.
Just think. The method of apprehending truth—the method of science—has unlocked the workings of the natural world, lifted billions out of poverty, extended life and health, and has allowed us to act with some foresight in the face of paralyzing complexity and uncertainty.
And yet, we are now seeing a global erosion of the norms that make this rational method possible.
In political life, twisting truth beyond recognition is no longer just a rhetorical tool. Today it’s become, in some quarters, a governing strategy. But when the rationale for policies becomes disconnected from evidence and logic—as for example in Donald Trump’s doctrine of “reciprocal tariffs”…or when we deny the efficacy of vaccines—the consequences can wreak havoc across continents.
It doesn’t stop there. The dark side of social media is accelerating the spread of misinformation, proselytizing beliefs that are completely untethered from reality, and poisoning our social and political discourse.
And the “deep fakes” being manufactured by AI threaten to undermine the veracity of the very sights and sounds that inform our deepest intuition of what is real and true.
It’s not an overstatement to say that these forces are today challenging the legitimacy of science, of public reason, and of the very institutions that sustain democratic society.
So, as new graduates, what can you do to mobilize in defence of truth?
First, I urge you to remain loyal to the discipline of evidence, especially when it challenges your prior assumptions or unsettles your most cherished beliefs.
Second, in your careers and communities, be a voice for intellectual integrity. Stand up, calmly but always firmly, when you see facts twisted or reason distorted. Because to survive, truth requires a committed cadre of defenders.
Third, be alert to the ever-present emotional allure of falsehood. Resist the siren call of groupthink—of going along just to get along. And don’t fall into the psychological trap of confirmation bias—instead, follow where evidence and reason lead, even when it undermines what you may want to believe.
Finally, remember that the defense of truth is not an abstract pursuit. It’s a moral and civic responsibility. In science, in business, in government, and in everyday life, your ability to understand cause and effect, and to act with wisdom, depends on embracing truth and rejecting falsehood.
Dear graduates—You leave here today not only with knowledge, but with the habits of mind that make knowledge meaningful and truth accessible. I urge you to carry those hard-won habits proudly, and apply them courageously in defence of truth along whatever road life takes you.
I know you will.
Today, we celebrate your preparation. Now go for it!
A Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa was awarded to Dr. Peter Nicholson by St. Francis Xavier University, May 4, 2025. Viewable at timestamp 2:14:20.
