Philosophy Of The Human Mind Truth Essays - Theories Of Truth

Philosophy Of The Human Mind: Truth TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. THE PHILOSOPHICAL CONCEPT OF TRUTH 2. THE ACHIEVEMENT OF TRUTH 1. THE PHILOSOPHICAL CONCEPT OF TRUTH Epistemology is the study of what we know, how we know, and what we can or cannot know. In Epistemology, students are asked many questions about Truth and Knowledge. Here are two basic questions that students may be asked, What is Truth? and Can we really have Truth? The simple answer to this question is yes. Truth, in a philosophical term is defined as What the universe actually is not what one thinks it is or is not. An opinion in philosophy does not count. Good philosophers must be able to reason to others what they claiming are true. Everyone has his/her own opinions. If we allowed opinions in philosophy, then there can be no such thing as truth. If everyone has his/her own opinions, what can be true for you may not be true for me and vice versa. Being skeptical and saying that we can never know the truth does not change the way the universe actually is to something that it isn't. For instance, if I never went outside of my house or look outside my window, I will never know that the sky is blue. Even though, I do not know that the sky is blue, it doesn't change the fact that the sky is actually blue. Now, I would like to discuss with you two types of Truth. The first type of Truth is called Normative Truth, and second type of Truth is called Descriptive Truth. Normative Truth is Permanent Truth; Descriptive Truth is Temporary Truth. Here is an example of Descriptive Truth - I am in Toronto This is currently true, but what if I move to New York? Here is another example of Descriptive Truth - The CN Tower is located in Toronto This is currently true, but what if The CN Tower was moved to Montreal or destroyed? Than the statement, The CN Tower is located in Toronto is false. The other type of Truth is Normative Truth. Normative Truth is what the universe actually is, or what it actually holds. For example, The Sky is blue, 2 * 3, 1 + 1 = 2, Elephants are bigger than rabbits These are all normative Truths. We know that Rabbits can never be bigger than Elephants, or that 2 can never be greater than 3. These statements will always remain true unlike statements like The CN Tower is located in Toronto (Note: Descriptive Truth is not someone's opinion. The CN Tower is located in Toronto is known as Descriptive Truth, but is this someone's pinion? of course not!) Now that you know about Normative and Descriptive Truth, what you should also know are the three rock-bottom rules of Logic. Here are the three rules. Rule # 1: The law of Non-Contradiction (Nothing can both be and not be at the same time and in the same sense) Rule # 2: The Law of Excluded Middle (Something either is, or it is not) Rule # 3: The Law of Identity (Something is what it is). Notice: These are the three basic rules that every philosopher must know about. In rule # 2, it states that Something either is or it not You have to understand that Rule # 2 only applies to general concepts not specific concepts. For instance, the colour gray is not really black or white. Gray is a colour in between of black and white. If rule # 2 applies, than the colour gray would violate rule # 2, right? - No, of course not! Fundamental rules apply only to general concepts. The colour gray does not violate rule # 2 because gray is a specific thing. If gray violates rule # 2, then I guess colours in between of red and blue would also violate rule # 2. I also guess that 1.5 would violate rule # 2, because it isn't 1 nor is it 2. (No! It does not violate rule #2. None of them do violate Rule # 2) Here are examples of the fundamental rules. I am either male or I am female. (I cannot be both male and female at the same time) - This