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Is truth relative?
Is truth relative? Can truth really be different for one person compared to another? What is your thinking on this?
Topics:
philosoophy religion
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
"Exploring the world holistically is more beneficial than atomistic views" or "You can't eat without praying first" or "Humility is everything" or "Science can answer all questions"
To some these statements are essential thoughts, to others they do not exist, and to the rest impartial either way.
So, is truth relative? Is truth absolute? To both; yes, no, maybe, once in a while and sometimes.
Thomas Brucia
Thomas Jones 100+
That was relatively funny.
edward long 100+
"If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor." Albert Einstein
Zahra Amini
secondly what do we know about it and why should we know anything related to it at all?
will time demonstrate that there has never been any truth at all?or will it turn out to be vice versa?
Is truth seperate from us?
will we ever reach it?
sorry to answer your Q with Q...
Allan Macdougall 50+
There is no ‘one truth’.
Gerald O'brian 50+
Nothing else.
David Hamilton 50+
: p
We can approach objective truth but never seperate from our perspective. We can believe truth is relative, up until the point there are demonstrable consequences... ; )
brian herring
I was just making ao observation on your opening sentence. I believe truth in your eyes and understanding, and my Truth are alike only in name. I would say keep seeing to feel the truth in all things. peace to you.
brian herring
The less verbage one uses to explain the simplest form of an answer always looks obscure to one who writes a dissertation on something as simple as SEE DICK RUN.
brian herring
Truth Is.
Phillip McKay
Stephen Camm
brian herring
Larry Davis
There is a also the truth of closed systems like mathematics. Simple arithmetic and complex mathematical concepts have proofs to demonstrate their truth. The problem with the closed systems is they operate without the intervening variables that confound "real world" understanding.
The truth that I find the most important is personal truth - those things that we see, feel, hear or perceive. As simple and rudimentary as these perceptions are, it is unlikely we will find a clearer truth than what is right in front of our eyes. Take two individuals: both are looking a colorful sunset. One is experiencing the beauty of the moment without thought while the other is musing how one of the colors matches the paint in his den. Can any consensus be reached on the meaning of a sunset or would one even want to? I guess a definition, if one wants one, is that truth is what we see, hear and experience (our sensory systems), which could also include those wondrous intuitions that pop up every now and then.
Capt. T. C. Randall
Thomas Jones 100+
[See any successful political campaign for details.]
Gerald O'brian 50+
He meant truth, in a philosophical and epistemological way.
Gerald O'brian 50+
Juliette Zahn 50+
Thomas Jones 100+
Truth is a word.
What the word refers to depends on who is using it. That is why these discussions can be nothing but word games.
I think ....
You think ....
We think ....
They think ....
She thinks ...
He thinks ...
... truth refers to _____________ [fill in the blank.]
Based on "this" ( "_____________ " ) definition, truth is relative.
Based on "this" ( "_____________ " ) definition, truth is absolute.
Based on "this" ( "_____________ " ) definition, truth is an illusion.
Based on "this" ( "_____________ " ) definition, truth is all there is.
And so on.
brian herring
Well said Mr.Jones, I like your style.
Orlando Hawkins 20+
there are many things that are truthful and for the sake of not sounding redundant I'll not comment on those. What I will say is all because one may never know the truth does not mean that the truth does not exist. There are many truths out that touch on a lot of areas in life (from personal to social).
I think there are moral truths out there. I think there are right and wrong actions (I cannot practically state all the possible actions that will constitute well-being or cause misery) but this does not take away from the fact that there are truths out there.
I think we run into issues if we state that rather or not truth can be different from person to person and this is why: people have the right to believe what they want. They are entitled to their opinion. What I do not agree with is everyone opinion has equal validity (mines included) and if these opinions do not serve a reasonable suitable purpose or is imposed on other individuals or really make false claims about the nature of the world, they should not be tolerated (in the sense of questioning) or at least kept private.
brian herring
Orlando Hawkins 20+
Nothing in my post amounted to any certainty and to actually state that "I know" moral truths exist and that truth is not relative would actually be intellectually dishonest. Its almost like me saying that "I know for certain that Zeus does not exist". My lack of knowledge about moral truths does not lend any credence to the claim that truth is relative.
Andrew Wiggin
J Hat
Guillermo Uriarte
There are instances where you could propose absolute, such as infinity and totality. However, this is true within its defined limitations and context, therefore, relative.
You have to define the stage from which you propose a truth. Every truth is dependent upon another relationship.
Thomas Jones 100+
Fun? Yes.
Entertaining? Yes.
Will it resolve anything that has not been attempted by Socrates, Locke, Lao Tzu, Goethe, Kant, Whitehead, or West?
Probably not.
Guillermo Uriarte
Also, are you implying that all discussion is not a word game? Ha ha.
brian herring
Andrew Wiggin
For instance, if I went to my mother and claimed that she is a boy. Even though I would hold it as true, my mother would obviously believe she is a girl. Now we are at a conflict. These truths contradict each other. So one cannot be true since it is in complete contradiction of the other. Without an absolute truth, there is chaos, and nothing could be held as true.
Guillermo Uriarte
There is a lot of chaos in the universe and this does not keep it from perpetuating as it has for some 16 billion years. However, you are right, nothing can really be held ultimately true, it comes down to a matter or perception and the rules defined prior to defining the truth (rules which are also arbitrary).
brian herring
Thomas Jones 100+
If there is no reason to answer a question, why ask it?
QUOTE: "Also, are you implying that all discussion is not a word game? Ha ha."
MOST discussions are not word games, they have an achievable outcome. Sometimes the outcome is simply social: bonding, association, and so on (and in that sense every discussion could be said to serve a purpose.) Sometimes it is more "concrete:" How do we improve the brakes in this car; How do we reduce our environmental footprint; What should I get my wife for her birthday, and the like.
Andrew Wiggin
If nothing can be held as ultimately true, then what makes the statement, "There is a lot of chaos in the universe" true?
Also good rules are not arbitrary rules. Everything must have a reason.
Thomas Jones 100+
Lawrence Trevanion
Such a view appears to be correct because:
1/ No one seems able to state any absolutely correct assertion
2/ The notion of unquestionable assertions seems to be an extrapolation of questionable ones to an ultimate degree (with the paradoxical consequence that all our uncertain truths can no longer be said to be true i.e. we are left with no truths at all)
3/ We can question, quite literally, any assertion
People judge assertions to be true. The relative truth of these assertions lie in their power and comprehensiveness, which is to say, the idea of truth is based on the fact that language works (and poor language works badly).
If one retains the notion of absolute truth but claims that this truth is relative to persons or cultures - then such a viewpoint is NOT relativism but rather personal absolutism or cultural absolutism. Such a view maintains irreconcilable contradictions and is quite rightly derided and dismissed.
.
So individuals and cultures do determine what they say is true (obviously) but some persons/cultures are better than others.
Which means we should pride ourselves on collecting the most powerful understandings rather than deluding ourselves that our understanding is perfectible and that we have perfected it.
brian herring
Lawrence Trevanion
Thomas Jones 100+
Do you mean, "then you're on the path toward Truth?"
Thomas Jones 100+
You seem to equate absolute truth with absolute understanding. That we cannot understand (or adequately express) something to be absolute does not imply there are no absolutes.
Emmanuel Donate
J Hat
Gerald O'brian 50+
Ed Schulte 50+
there are two types of Truth.
1) Relative
2) Ultimate
because to be HUman is to be dual in nature.
Christophe Doré
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euclidean_geometry#Axioms
In other sciences, truth is also what is commonly accepted - with rigorous criteria - until someone finds out something that contradicts this. Look at what happens at the CERN, at the end of this year, we might come up with a situation where the light speed is no more a speed limit, statement which is supposed to be the truth since Einstein.
@Manos: This is somewhat similar to your girlfriend example: you take for granted that she loves you until you have evidence that she has cheated on you.
So more generally, is not truth some belief - and the reasons for belief - a quite large group of people share until some contradicting facts are raised and accepted? So is not truth relative to group of people?
Can anything you, as a person, take for granted as true be defined according to the groups of people you feel you belong and to what statements these groups accept as true?
Denis Fitzpatrick
I really like the way you express yourself !
"So more generally, is not truth some belief - and the reasons for belief - a quite large group of people share until some contradicting facts are raised and accepted? So is not truth relative to group of people?
Can anything you, as a person, take for granted as true be defined according to the groups of people you feel you belong and to what statements these groups accept as true?"
I am afraid that if too many people here "get" what you are saying... they will end up looking the way you do !
What a great photo !
All the Best!
Denis
Have you read any Nietzsche by any chance ? He too believed that the "truth" is created !
Robert Galway 30+
J Hat
Robert Galway 30+
Not sure how you know when you have found "truth in general". Something has to compel you to think you have not already found the truth in a situation. If you believe something to be truth, wouldn't it be a waste of your time to continue to look for truth? For example, I no longer seek any different truth than 2 for the 1+1= question.
J Hat
Michael Wolok
Guillermo Uriarte
There are absolute truths within realms, and there are realms in which truths are subjective. There are no truths which are absolute outside of their relative context.
emm dubahew
It depends on the TYPE of truth.
Scientific truth is not relative-- One plus one equals two, byproduct of trees is oxygen, earth moving around the sun, etc.
Moral truth is objective-- That person SHOULD sacrifice their life it will save all those people, but, 'that persons" mother, partner and/or kids might not agree.
Watch as a plagiarize:
Relativism is the concept that points of view have no absolute truth or validity, having only relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration. ... Relativism is sometimes (though not always) interpreted as saying that all points of view are equally valid, in contrast to an absolutism which argues there is but one true and correct view.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relativism
Mrityunjay Awasthy
- "How you don't see it, looks like you are an idiot"
Other man:
"From where I look at you, you seem same to me sire"
Manos Baltzakis 10+
J Hat
Manos Baltzakis 10+
J Hat