The Nature Of Truth Part 1 Essays - Philosophy, Epistemology

The Nature Of Truth Part 1 The Nature of truth part 1 Rene Descartes, once said, I am, [therefore] I exist. This statement contains the only truth found for certain in our natural experience that, as conscious beings, we exist. Whether we are our own creators, a creation, or the object of evolution, as long as we know that we think, we prove to exist. Descartes claims, But certainly I should exist, if I were to persuade my self of something. Our existence is a truth, and may be the only truth, that we know is certain. Simplicity and Complexity Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:4). This seems to be a very simple scripture talking about simple ideas. Children understand the little things that adults have a tendency to exasperate inherent truths. The Bible shows us that children understand right from wrong without trying to convince everyone that there might be a loop hole. Why is it that adults complicate matters so much? In order for us to understand how the ancient philosophers have gone astray from simple concepts we must take a look at truth and their views on the complex idea. Do we ever come to an understanding of what truth is or is it still out there for people to wonder about? Truth exists and is an absolute. Contrary to the mush-minded meanderings of modern educators, truth is not relative. If my truth differs from your truth that can only be because either one or both of us is unaware of the truth and has call ed something true which is not. Truth must not have the slightest touch of maybe to it. Maybe is dishonesty to truth and if it touches truth, then truth becomes maybe. Truth is more and beyond that which is true. Truth is a concept in philosophy that treats the meaning of true and the criteria by which we judge the truth or falsity in written and spoken statements. For thousands of years, Philosophers have attempted to answer the question What is Truth? Truth is the quality of being true, and anything that is true is a truth, the concept of truth is uncommonly complex and variable. Thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and opinions are said to be true or false. An idea makes a truth claim and is true when the character of what is thought about upholds its claim. Forms of words or statements are also said to be true or false. This can be explained by saying a set of words is true when it expresses a true thought. Truth should be replaced by the facts, reality or the way things are. Truth is ofte n imagined as consisting in a speaker's honesty with respect to what he believes. Mohandas Gandhi spoke of The Absolute Truth, the Eternal Principle, that is God and said, I worship God as Truth only. Jesus said, I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. God is truth and the essence of it. All of his ways are truth and all truth stands or falls as it is measured against Him. If we love truth and seek after it, we cannot help but run into the outstretched arms of God. He wants us to know the truth, which is to know him. God places the truth before us and gives us complete freedom to choose how to respond to the truth. If we turn to God and ask him to instruct us in the truth and to lead us to salvation, we will surely receive that which we ask because our prayer will be in line with God's desire for us. Apart from the confirmed truth that we exist, no other truths are definite, for the fact that subjective truth may be easily contradicted. Everybody has his or her own truth that may be contradicting to another person's. What one person may assume, a dog is a man's best friend, another may think that a dogs is a man's worse enemy. Our judgment of what is true depends on our own experiences, and how things becomes true for us. Every thought, besides the idea that we think,