Does Truth exist? Is Truth relative or a matter of opinion? Can Truth be known? How can it be known? Why does it matter? Does it matter? In this article, Audrey will explain the fundamentals of the study of epistemology and introduce how different worldviews decipher or dismiss Truth.
Truth is reality. Truth is the state of how things are in the world, unchanged by perspective, imagination, or idealism. Truth is fact. According to the Law of Noncontradiction, “If something is true the opposite is false.” This may sound obvious at first, when thinking upon the idea that someone cannot simultaneously be 17 years old and 97 years old, or that the sky cannot be entirely blue and entirely red at the same moment. However, what about the issues in which there is a blurred gray area, where truth is more contentious?: Is there an afterlife? What is the meaning of life? What is considered a human right? Unresolved, controversial issues cannot be both morally right and morally wrong simultaneously — which leads to controversy. Examples include issues such as capital punishment, assisted suicide, and abortion.
So, how does anyone know the truth? It is easy when it comes to issues that can be proven in nature, such as photosynthesis or respiration. However, what about the concepts that cannot be proven, such as love? If love cannot be proven, then should it be dismissed? Can you even prove you exist? Is the truth how we feel? There are many situations where people may feel differently about the same issue. A customer may feel the car dealership should give him a free Ferrari and the salesmen may feel that the customer should pay for the Chevy that appears more in his budget. So how do we know anything? Does truth really exist at all?
Epistemology is a branch of philosophy that determines how individuals know anything at all. It is the study of how people are able to believe that anything is true in their lives, starting with how a person knows that they are thinking and how they know that they are, in fact, not dreaming. A simple definition of A - priori knowledge is the concepts we find obvious without needing to be proved. Although these ideas may live in the subconscious, everyone has a foundation on which they build knowledge, becoming their worldview and their perspective, through which they see everything in their life. Epistemology takes into account perspective, senses, reason, and testimony to determine how people can know anything at all, which determines what is considered posteriori knowledge, which is knowledge based on evidence.
There are many different ways that individuals decipher what they believe to be truth. Individuals often make decisions on what they believe based on first-hand experiences. If they saw it happen, then they are likely going to believe it (which is why the apriori is essential for trusting the senses). One of the main factors that develops worldviews is the stories that people believe about themselves, others, or society. This insight can come from parents, teachers, or any trusted council received in an individual's life during adolescence or their current state. This council can also be communicated through stories, in books, the news, movies, or social media. Often, however, where the individual spends the majority of their time can determine their largest influences, and these influences can change how the individual sees the importance of various issues, such as purpose, romance, priorities, compassion, and self-worth. These messages often come subconsciously from a movie watched for entertainment, a lecture at school, or even just a conversation with a friend; however, they often shape the individual's perspective on life.
These worldviews, composing how each individual looks at life, explain why different individuals can look at the same situation differently. For example, at a funeral, there may be some people who look at the coffin and see the end of the individual's life, with nothing to follow besides a burial; another may look at the coffin and believe they will see their friend again in the afterlife. Both of these individuals believe that their response to death is the truth; however, if there is Truth, then both of these ideas cannot exist simultaneously. From these different worldviews, ideas sprout on how the government should be run, religion, family dynamics, human purpose, and how the individual processes different information. Often, outbursts or animosity in arguments are rooted in not being able to communicate one's perspective or to understand the perspective of others; since we live in a world where we are guaranteed to disagree, it is best to be respectful to each other, despite disagreements-- even if your perspective is not altered. It really is not said enough, but it is okay for two individuals to explain their side of a disagreement without fear of offending the other individual. It is okay for neither individual to change their mind at the end of the conversation. It is okay if all an individual gets after leaving a debate is a glimpse of a different perspective. If Truth exists, then only one outlook can be the reality we live in, but below are some of the most common worldviews on how Truth can be deciphered or dismissed as an idea altogether.
Monotheism is the belief that there is one God who created the Universe in all of its vastness and intricacies, created human life to be valuable compared to other creatures, set the Laws of Nature in place, and now oversees the world. This God is omnipresent (present everywhere), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipotent (all-powerful). There are three main monotheistic worldviews, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Judaism is a religion that was established by Ancient Hebrews, who believed the Creator of the Universe revealed himself to the Prophets, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Judaism uses the Torah of Truth and the New Testament of the Bible, as history from the beginning of the world to the time of the last of the prophets and the law to which they need to live to earn eternal life. Judaism uses these historical documents, revelations from God, and science to support the order of the universe, as their way of knowing Truth. Since Judaism is an ethnic faith, they do not have missionaries, but they believe the Gentiles (not Jewish people) can achieve salvation by living according to the Ten Commandments.
Christianity is very similar to Judaism in that it seeks truth from historical documents (including the Old and New Testament), uses science to support an ordered universe, and uses revelations from God to seek Truth. There are, of course, many differences-- the largest being that Christians believe that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of a promised Messiah in the Old Testament; modern Judaism rejects Jesus as Savior and are still waiting for one. The Old Testament promises a Savior who overthrows the authority, takes back Israel, and builds a New Temple. Jesus was born humbly in a manger, overcame the world by defeating death on a cross, and said the body was now the third temple because he came as a mediator between God and man, so that all people may have a personal relationship with God. He fulfilled the law, and Salvation is achieved by asking him to be Savior of one's life and then living according to his will: "The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentille" (Romans 1:16). Christians also believe that the New Testament is Truth (the Old Testament beginning with creation of Earth and the New Testament with the end of Earth). However, they do not believe any other documents should be made equal to the Bible until the return of Jesus during the end of the world. Christians believe in the Holy Trinity that God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit make up the one Almighty God. Anyone who accepts Jesus as Lord of their life and listens to his teachings will receive the Holy Spirit, who will then reveal Truth to them. As Jesus said, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32).
Islam is the belief in Truth through the revelation of the Prophet Muhammad, who brought the Quran. Although Muslims do not exactly dismiss the Bible, they believe the Testaments are inferior to any contradictions to the Quran (of which there are many). The Quran was seen as an instruction to build the true church of Allah, after Christians and Jews had failed to deliver the correct message. In Islam, there are five main pillars that should be followed to achieve eternal life, rather than by the Grace described in the Christian faith. In Islam, a personal relationship with God is seen as blasphemy to his power. Jesus is considered to be a prophet, but not an equal to God. The Holy Spirit is believed to be the Angel Gabriel, who revealed the Quran to Muhammad.
Polytheism makes up various religions, and is the belief in many gods. Polytheism includes Confucianism, Shintoism, and various tribal religions. Polytheism was very popular in the ancient world, as it was the belief system of Ancient Mesopotamia, the Egyptian Pharaohs, the Greeks, and the Romans. Polytheistic beliefs are often rooted in the idea of the world being a state of chaos; there is no order besides trying to find favor with impersonal gods, lest they smite their followers. However, there are other ways that Polytheism is practiced in the modern world.
Wicca is not specifically a Polytheistic religion, for Monists and Pantheists often practice it; however, many Wiccans are Polytheistic. Wicca is a form of modern Paganism, in which followers believe in several gods, with no connection between them. Most Wiccans believe in a male horned god and a moon goddess, who exists in a feminine triune of the maiden, mother, and crone, which are seen in the phases of the moon. Wiccans often call themselves witches and practice magic in rituals to bring about changes in the physical world. Since Wicca is open to the interpretation of the individual, there is no Truth besides individual truths based purely on the decisions of the individual.
Mormonism is a religion that was started by Joseph Smith in order to reform the Christian church and is, in a way, similar to Islam's Muhammad. Joseph Smith received a revelation at 14 years old, on golden plates given by the white-skinned but Native American angel Moroni, on the condition that he would not show the plates to any unauthorized person. He translated the plates with seer stones to a scribe but, after over 100 pages were lost, he looked into a hat with the seer stones to finish the translation. This book became the Book of Mormon and is believed to be Truth, except that this Truth changes through the ages, depending on the revelations of the current prophet. Mormons do not dismiss the Bible, but discount it when it contradicts the book of Mormon or other religious texts (which is very frequently). Mormons believe in multiple heavens (like Islam). The levels of Heaven are achieved by doing good work and remaining in the family dynamics. There is no Hell, but there is an "outer darkness" for the unsaved, although Mormons believe in Baptisms of the Dead to attempt to save those in outer darkness, believing it is not too late. Mormonism is not a typical Polytheistic religion, but Mormons do believe that, in the higher levels of Heaven, humans also gain deity status and serve as gods in their eternal family dynamic. Mormonism also dismisses the Holy Trinity, believing that God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three unique individuals.
Monism dismisses the idea that the mind and body are separate (Dualism) and believes all things come together in a universal oneness of matter and mind.
Hinduism is not a specific religion, but it is instead more up to the individual regarding the gods they choose to worship and the religious texts they choose to believe. Hinduism is divided into different sects including Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. The Hindu belief is deeply rooted in Karma, which is the idea that if you put good into the world, then good will come back to you; if you put evil into the world, then bad things will happen to you (goodness is typically rooted in the ethical code of the Santanna Dharma). If you were a good person in your last life, then you will likely be rich and powerful in this life; if you were previously a bad person, then you will return poor, or (according to some sects) as a mosquito. Hindus believe that truth is unchangeable, but they also simultaneously believe that there are many different paths of self-discovery to know Truth.
Buddhism is a religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama (Budha), which holds that the ultimate goal in life is to desire less and become more enlightened through reincarnation until the individual reaches Nirvana (infinite nothingness). Truth is revealed by enlightenment, which comes from the individual depriving themselves of all desires—leading to suffering. In Buddhism, there is a doctrine called the Four Noble Truths (to live life by) which includes the following principles: truth of suffering, truth of cause of suffering, truth to the end of suffering, and truth to the path that leads to the end of suffering.
Jainism is a religion in which people believe in reincarnation and karma. In Jainism, bad Karma is caused by doing harm to living things, so Janists are strict vegetarians, who will not even eat root plants, as doing so involves killing the plants. In Jainism, there is no such thing as absolute Truth, for there is no perfect perspective to base Truth on, so there can only be partial truths (and is a half-truth really Truth?)
Pantheism is the belief that the universe is part of God, but there is no god besides the combined forces that make up the universe. Pantheism is unique in the sense that it is a belief that it is both monistic, with God and the Universe coming together in oneness, but dualistic in the separation of God from the universe. In Pantheism, God is eternal, and time is the only reality for the individual. Pantheism is very unclear on the idea of Truth; for some believe in a materialist approach to reality (matter is all that matters) and others hold to Acosmism, a belief that the world is an illusion and nothing is real besides God.
Materialism is the belief that anything that is not physical or tangible is not real. The only truth that exists is made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons. The founder of Materialism, Damascus, stated, " We know nothing of reality for truth lies within the abyss." He believed that human thoughts were all just instinctual physical reactions programmed for the survival of mankind; all we know are atoms.
Although Materialism is not proven to be the root cause of Atheism, there is a correlation regarding the argument of not being able to tangibly prove the existence of God. Plus, some Atheists do consider themselves Materialist. Atheists deny the existence of a god and often use theories such as Darwinism to replace a need for a creator of the universe and divine moral order. Since Atheism is more of a denial of a god's existence than an established religion, there is much individuality involved in the belief. As stated by Atheist philosopher Bertrand Russell, "Without God, there is no absolute truth."
Agnosticism is a term coined by T.H. Huxley, claiming that humans cannot really know if there is Truth or a God. Humans cannot physically prove there is a God; humans cannot physically prove there is not a God, and agnostics are content with being undecided on topics such as purpose, Earth's creation, the basis of morals, or hopes of an afterlife. They are indifferent to truth. They cannot prove truth exists; they cannot prove truth does not exist, so they dismiss the idea entirely.
"You live your truth, and I will live my truth" may be an expression you have heard or said yourself, but it is rooted in the worldview of Hedonism. This is the belief that truth is whatever a person wants truth to be. Because that idea is contradictory, it dismisses the existence of Truth. Aristippus of Cyrene is credited with the founding of Hedonism, which is a pessimistic view that nothing really matters, so humans should pursue temporary pleasures constantly to attempt sustaining fulfillment.
Epicurism is a branch of Hedonism and one of the branches of skepticism (theory that some knowledge is impossible) that was founded by Epicurus, who believed that, if pleasure was not moderated, the feeling after being completely indulgent in pleasures would cause a greater pain, although he still considered pleasure to be the only virtue in life. Epicurus also believed that there was Truth. However, it was individually applied and ever-changing (which actually goes against Truth being reality and non-contradictory). It is instead determined by pre-conceptions, sensory experiences, and feelings.
Rationalism, a second form of Skepticism, was founded during the Enlightenment— a theory credited to Rene Descartes. Rationalism is the belief that reason is the only way to access Truth if it cannot be proved it is not true. However, since some ideas simply cannot be proved, such as existence itself, he had a theory called "Cogito ergo sum" or "I think therefore I am" to support human existence as a foundation for his beliefs. Since mathematics was used to prove most Truth and math cannot prove feelings, virtues, or purpose, those ideas would be dismissed from what is considered Truth.
Nihilism, also referred to as Radical Skepticism, is the belief that the only fact that is certain is that nothing is certain and life is meaningless. The only truth is that there is no truth. In theory, a perfect Nihilist would have no beliefs, loyalties, or values. The philosopher credited for founding Nihilism was Friedrich Nietzsche, who published his views on Truth being imaginary and subjective in On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense. He believed that life was meaningless and humans only applied meaning to life to cope with the fact that nothing really mattered, including humans creating the idea of a Creator: "God is dead; we have killed Him." In a way, dismissing the existence of God is forming a belief, which goes against the Nihilist belief that there should be no beliefs, ultimately creating a paradox. Since life is meaningless, Nietzsche thought the only way worth spending life was striving for power and, through this pursuit, overcoming the suffering that is life, ultimately becoming the Ubermensch (Superman race). Nietzsche stated of the suffering that is life, "That which does not kill you, only makes you stronger"— so, really, the Kelly Clarkson song could be heard to get over a breakup or as a motivational canticle to becoming a superior form of human.
Deism is a worldview that looks at the creation of the universe and finds that it is more probable that a Creator made Earth than it is that the Earth was born into existence out of nothing. It looks at the natural order of the Earth, such as seasons and the intricate design of every little thing (from an ant, to a brain, to a tree) and decides that there was likely a creator. However, deists do not believe humans can comprehend God or ever know God; or that God is concerned with knowing individual humans. God was just a clock-winder that made this intricate universe and then left. Deists believe that these laws of nature were set in place and are the only thing that humans can ever know as Truth. Thomas Jefferson, who was a deist, even proposed taking the miracles out of the Bible because he believed that God would never interfere with the laws of nature in a supernatural way.
Following the Enlightenment was a time period called the Romantic period, which was largely influenced by the doctrines of Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His beliefs were optimistic, believing that mankind was inherently good but corrupted by society; to correct the state of man would, in turn, correct the society in which he was brought up, until that state was perfected. In the Romantic period, truth was seen as abstract art; interpreted by how it makes the individual feel, a reflection of the individual's character. Although, feelings are, of course, ever-changing, which implies that truth would be ever-changing, meaning that there would be no belief in a constant, never-changing Truth. The Romanticist time period ended over a century ago and, in the modern world, when someone introduces themselves as a "Romantic" it is less likely they are referring to the worldview; however, Romanticism has made a large impact on modern thinking, which is made evident in the smallest ways. For example, this may appear when someone asks a question that requires a fact, but we begin our answer with "Well, I feel..."
Modernism is a movement that began in the 20th Century that was rooted in Materialism (matter as only Truth) and often supports Darwinism as the way the universe was made. It was believed that the world would become better through scientific advancements and technological inventions. It was deterministic, meaning that humans have no free will and are, in a way, programmed by nature to have survival instincts--similar to animals. G.K Chesterton called this argument "The Suicide of Thought" in his book Orthodoxy, which means that, when humans argue that they have to mind to think (different than an animalistic brain), then they are destroying that argument by developing that theory and debating it. Modernism is a movement we still see the impacts of on culture, especially with science, in a sense, becoming a religion of America. Many who question a scientific theory are deemed "irrational" and there is constant controversy regarding what is a theory and what has been proven to be factual. Once something has been marked "scientifically proven" it is held to be the highest Truth by modern culture.
Postmodernism was a movement that followed Modernism when people realized that advancements in science and technology did not give them the Brave New World they sought or any fulfillment in life. Postmodernism, or Secular Existentialism, a term made by philosopher Gabriel Marcel, was the idea that life serves no purpose or meaning. Postmodernism continued to reject the idea that any god was a creator of the world. Jean-Paul - Sartre, theorized that life is an ever-evolving journey with no destination, and humans only have free will to respond to the events that are "determined" to happen to them. Sartre also claimed that all Truths were equally valid; however, with all of the evil going on in the 20th century, it was hard to support Sartre, who even denounced Nazism while fighting in the French resistance, which contradicts that all truths are valid and there is no universal Truth or standard theory. However, Postmodernism did hold on to the theory that reality is constantly changing and ther is no Truth.
Truth, by definition, is constant, unchangeable, noncontradictory, and reflects the reality we live in. If it is partially true, then it is not Truth. If everything is truth, then nothing at all is Truth. People rarely base beliefs on ideas they do not want to believe, which results in everyone having their own view of truth; if there is a Truth, then it will remain true, despite anyone's feelings, beliefs, or arguments against it. The author of a Brave New World, Aldous Huxley, stated, "We do not know because we do not want to know. It is our free will that decides the subjects of which we use our intelligence." A universal Truth would be greater than that of mankind, and it will not submit to the feelings of an individual human in the vast greatness of things. Some world views reflect the idea that" the only truth is that there is no truth"; some say ,"All paths are true"; some say, "Work on yourself and truth will be revealed to you"; some say, "truth is determined by the physical world only"; some say, "Truth is revealed by your feelings"; some say, "Truth is whatever you believe it is"; some say, "We cannot know truth and it does not matter"; and some say, "There's one God to look to for truth to be revealed". Ultimately, everyone has a worldview that is their own perspective, whether they consciously choose what they believe to be truth or if it is subconsciously acted out in their lives. The stories we believe about the world, ourselves, and other human beings becomes our perspective. It is the foundation that makes religions, governments, and empires. For that reason, it would be important to know, is there a Truth? What is the Truth? Do you believe that it exists?
