The Truth

The word ‘true’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon ‘treowe’ meaning ‘believed’. ‘Believe’ itself is from ‘gelyfan’, ‘to esteem dear’. So etymologically, ‘truth’ would be something believed to be of some value, rather than necessarily being correct. ‘Believe’ is still used in the older sense, as in “I believe in democracy” – a different sense to ‘believing in Father Christmas’. Such ambiguity facilitates equivocation – useful to politicians, etc, who can be economical with the truth. One function of language is to conceal truth.

The Truth is a concept that is often sought after and valued by individuals and societies alike. It encompasses the state or quality of being in accordance with fact or reality. Seeking the truth can lead to a deeper understanding of the world around us and can contribute to personal growth and societal progress. However, it’s important to acknowledge that the truth can be subjective and influenced by various factors such as perspective, experience, and interpretation. Despite this, the pursuit of truth remains an essential aspect of human existence, driving intellectual curiosity, scientific exploration, and the quest for justice and fairness.

In Metaphysics and philosophy of language, The Correspondence Theory of Truth states that the truth or falsity of a statement is determined only by how it relates to the world and whether it accurately describes (i.e. corresponds with) that world.

Correspondence theories claim that true beliefs and true statements correspond to the actual state of affairs. This type of theory attempts to posit a relationship between thoughts or statements on one hand, and things or facts on the other.

The Correspondence Theory of Truth is probably the most common and widespread way of understanding the nature of truth and falsehood. Put quite simply, the Correspondence Theory argues that “truth” is whatever corresponds to reality. An idea which corresponds with reality is true while an idea which does not correspond with reality is false. It is important to note here that “truth” is not a property of “facts.” This may seem odd at first, but a distinction is being made here between facts and beliefs. A fact is some set of circumstances in the world while a belief is an opinion about those what those facts are. A fact cannot be either true or false, it simply is because that is the way the world is. A belief, however, is capable of being true or false because it may or may not accurately describe the world. Under the Correspondence Theory of Truth, the reason why we label certain beliefs as “true” is because they correspond to those facts about the world. Thus, the belief that the sky is blue is a “true” belief because of the fact that the sky is blue. Along with beliefs, we can count statements, propositions, sentences, etc. as capable of being true or false.
The Coherence Theory of Truth is probably second in popularity to the Correspondence Theory even though it often seems to be an accurate description of how our conception of truth actually works. Put simply: a belief is true when we are able to incorporate it in an orderly and logical manner into a larger and complex system of beliefs or, even more simply still, a belief is true when it fits in with the set of all our other beliefs without creating a contradiction.
The Pragmatic Theory of Truth determines whether or not a belief is true or not based on whether it has a useful (pragmatic) application in the world. If it > does not, then it is not true. As with Coherence Theory, truth in this > sense is nothing to do with the way the world ‘really is’ but is just a function of whether an idea can be used as a model to make useful predictions about what is going to happen in the world. As a result, pragmatic truths can only be learnt through interaction with the > world: we don’t discover truth by sitting alone in a room and thinking about it.

Discover The Truth

The way to discovering the truth is by learning from someone who knows it. You don’t have to search. The truth or someone who knows it often just has a way of showing up one day all on its own.

Discovery is the act of detecting something new, or something previously unrecognized as meaningful. With reference to sciences and academic disciplines, discovery is the observation of new phenomena, new actions, or new events and providing new reasoning to explain the knowledge gathered through such observations with previously acquired knowledge from abstract thought and everyday experiences.

Discovery

The Truth – by Prince

“There are two kinds of truths: An absolute truth and a relative truth. One of the highest absolute truths is our ability to recognize relativity and consider it absolute.”
– Eric Roth

Truth vs Falsity

When considering truth vs falsity, it’s essential to acknowledge the pursuit of truth as a fundamental aspect of human existence. Truth encompasses the state or quality of being in accordance with fact or reality. It can lead to a deeper understanding of the world and contribute to personal growth and societal progress.

On the other hand, falsity denotes a deviation from truth, lacking correspondence to the actual state of affairs. The pursuit of truth and the recognition of falsity are crucial for driving intellectual curiosity, scientific exploration, and the quest for justice and fairness. While truth can be influenced by subjective factors such as perspective and interpretation, the Correspondence Theory of Truth emphasizes the importance of how statements relate to the world and accurately describe it.

Navigating the dichotomy between truth and falsity involves understanding the nuances of belief, faith, and the acknowledgment of uncertainty. The pursuit of truth and the recognition of falsity remain integral to the human experience, driving exploration and understanding in both personal and societal contexts.

Illusion of Reality

The concept that “reality is not real” can be interpreted in various ways, leading to philosophical, scientific, and metaphysical discussions.

Some may argue that our perception of reality is subjective and influenced by our senses, experiences, and consciousness. This view aligns with philosophical concepts such as (Metaphysical) Solipsism *, which questions the existence of anything beyond one’s own mind.

Illusion of Reality

* = Solipsism is a philosophical concept that challenges the existence of anything beyond one’s own mind. According to this viewpoint, reality is subjective and is influenced by an individual’s senses, experiences, and consciousness. It questions the nature of external reality, suggesting that the only thing one can be certain of is the existence of their own mind. This philosophical perspective has sparked extensive debate and contemplation about the nature of reality and the limits of human knowledge.

Agnosticism

An Agnostic is a person who is sensible enough to admit that they have no fucking clue what is going on in the universe. Contrary to both a Theist (someone who sits in a Church / Temple thinking they have shit figured out) and an Atheist (someone who sits at Starbucks thinking they have shit figured out):

Theist: “God exists.” → Prays.
Atheist: “God does not exist.” → Sips grande cappuccino.
Agnostic: “We can’t know.” → Continues living left alone in peace.

“Belief and faith are the children of hope.”
“Atheism and agnosticism get confused quite often and so do pride and dignity as well as fear and respect.”
– Eric Roth