The Nature of Truth

[macethump]

Let's cut right into the meat, shall we? (Sorry, vegetarians).

What is the nature of truth? 
Are there universal truths? 
Can we discover them? 
Is truth for one truth for all? 
Is truth only what our perception makes it? 
Is it dependent on conditions?  Assumptions?

Several "laws" of logic can be seen as addressing this.

The law of non-contradiction deals with the concept of antithesis and states that something cannot be true and not true at the same time and in the same sense.

The law of excluded middle is often presented as "either A or non-A." For instance, God either exists or He does not exist.

The law of bivalence assesses propositions as either being true or false. "God exists" is either a true or a false statement.

Frank Herbert said "The purpose of argument is to change the nature of truth."  Can truth be changed, or merely our perception of it?

Perhaps this is a fool's errand, so today is as good as any to start.

 

[guspav]

Truth is binary, it either is or isn't. Like a teacher of mine used to say:" it's either yes or no, women can't get half pregnant after all"

 

[Sir Saladin]

I find these truths to be self evident. Fifteen men on a dead man's chest yo ho ho and a bottle of rum, drink and the devil had done for the rest yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.

 

[Yoshiboy]

I am truth.

 

[Rabid Potatoe]

Me too.

 

[Bellum]

Truth is binary,

Right. In places where the word truth is applicable, there are no 'truths'. God exists or he doesn't. There is no middle ground, unless there is. In that case, the middle ground is true, and neither of the other options is. Perception has nothing to do with truth.

 

[Archonsod]

Any given truth can only be true up to a given probability.

 

[Yoshiboy]

Any given truth can only be true up to a given probability.

This truth included?

 

[morgoth2005]

There is no absolute truth in this world, unless you're religious.

 

[The Wandering Knight]

There is no absolute truth in this world, unless you're religious.

Mathematics.

 

[Chronicus_Maximus]

The sentence below is false
The sentence is above true

 

[Bellum]

There is no absolute truth in this world, unless you're religious.

It's true that I'm sitting at a keyboard. It's true that it rained today. Being religious has nothing to do with truth. Whether or not you beleive in a god has nothing to do with whether or not it exists.

 

[Redcoat-Mic]

How do you know that it did? You could be a dream, and I'm the only reality.

 

[Bellum]

Yes, but then we get into metaphysical bull****, and really, who cares?

 

[guspav]

The sentence below is false
The sentence is above true

Is that a quote from the Bible? 

 

[Trooper5445]

Such is life. Honestly these are the types of issues that keep me up at night.

 

[Llew2]

There is no absolute truth in this world, unless you're religious.

The law of non-contradiction deals with the concept of antithesis and states that something cannot be true and not true at the same time and in the same sense.

If truth really is absolute in religion, it really is absolute everywhere else also. It can't be true and not true at the same time.

The sentence below is false
The sentence is above true

Not true.

Such is life. Honestly these are the types of issues that keep me up at night.

You actually stay up to think about things like this? 

 

[Redcoat-Mic]

I do too. Thought it was common.

 

[Trooper5445]

Well I'm up to 2 in the morning and I wake at 5:45. What do I do between the time I finish my homework at 12 and 2? And the half hour it takes me to sleep.

 

[Trooper5445]

To fall asleep I count the powers of 2.

2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256 512 1024 2048 4096 8192 16384 - Off the top of my head. I already feel sleepy.