The truth concept

[Pimppeter2]

So I've been contemplating this subject for quite some time, and I've been delving into philosophy as much as I can, but I was wondering what y'all would think of this as being the definition of truth.

The definition I have supposed for it: Truth is any expression of perceived reality.

There are two kinds: Absolute truth and personal truth.

Absolute truth is something everybody, or the majority agree is evident. An example would be that water is compoed of H2O, humans need to breathe to live, and etc. it is composed of fact, and can also be personal truth.

Personal truth is something that is real by belief, and is not necessarily fact. It is something that not everybody may agree on. Personal truth functions off of opinoin rather than fact. Stating water is composed of H3O is not absolute truth, it is in fact wrong, but if believed, it is a personal truth. Often personal truth is mistaken for absolute truth. That is not saying all personal truth may, or may not be absolute truth, but often, the vast majority of the time personal truth is not absolute truth. Religions and such, personal beliefs, are personall truths.

I'm still tinkering and pondering what if this definition is correct, or closest to being correct (truth) how it affects the world.

This is what I've come up with:

-The past, and present are both absolute truths, if the events are purely nonfictional. I.E. if an event has occured, it was real and thus is true.

The future is personal truth. It is a perceivement of what is yet to occur.


Anyways, looking for opinoins, point out my flaws, please. I don't want to get a big head when I'm wrong .


And for the record, For those who would say there is no correct answer to the question of, 'what is truth?' that is more of a personal truth rather than an absolute one. There must be a correct answer to that question, otherwise truth cannot exist... which could also be true. Oi, what a confusing matter!

 

[GodsOneMistake]

Can't we just say I'm always right and not deal with the confusion of it.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Yes that would work^^^

lol

 

[APPCRASH]

It's called Hydronium. I recommend you get your shit straight.

 

[Pimppeter2]

It's called Hydronium. I recommend you get your shit straight.

why dont you try using it in contex you jackass

 

[Undeed]

The major flaws I can see is that 'absolute truth' seems similar to 'cultural relativism' and 'personal truth' is an extremely vague concept. Absolute truth should be something that is objectively true, regardless of whether or not it is accepted. The world was never flat, but it would seem to be 'absolute truth' by your definition. You see what I mean? Your definition of 'personal truth' is vague enough that it would include delusions such as schizophrenia and other psychosis. Both of these allow for very lose morals, because the belief that it is right to steal or kill becomes true.

Anything we can define and prove is true. Seeking metaphysical truth is far more difficult.

 

[Darkmaster127]

Hmmm, intresting idea, but i'd redefine your definition of truth as 'something which is true'

Perception that the world is flat does not make it true, so i think that shouldn't be included.

Still, i like the rest, personal truths would presumably include thing that are opinions? (Such as beauty?)

EDIT; Damn you person above me, stole my flat earth thing!

 

[Skeleon]

Well, I'd have to say that present and past aren't necessarily absolute truth, either, because they are based on memories or recounts by witnesses, both of which can be false.
How could you tell what parts of our established past are fact or fiction in retrospect?
Just because the majority agrees that, yes, it's what has happened, doesn't mean it's correct.

I'm gonna pick up that example from the two posts before me: Most people knew the Earth was flat, so by your definition that'd make it an absolute truth. Majority or minority doesn't say anything about the correctness of a stated fact.

 

[Lukeje]

Personal truth isn't in fact truth, it is simply a delusion.

Typing H3O is the same thing as typing Hydronium.

That should be 'hydroxonium' (according to the latest IUPAC definitions anyway).

 

[Nargleblarg]

The definition I have supposed for it: Truth is any expression of perceived reality.

percieved reality? the matrix maybe

 

[hopeneverdies]

Now say only one person has the absolute truth. But it goes against the perceived realities of the rest of the world which is unanimous.
Let's take your water example.
Say one person who'd was brought up believing that water was H3O and that was the universal belief. Now say that one person went on to discover that the world was wrong. But because it was an accepted (but incorrect) fact that water is H3O he is considered wrong by the world.
Is he correct in that reality or is he wrong?
I say that because it is the world's opinion against his everyone will believe they are right therefore the accepted norm is that water is H3O.

 

[smokeybearsb]

This brings to mind truthiness. Oh how I love you Steven Colbert.
I think truthiness is rather close to your definition of personal truth.

I want to bring up actual truth, which I made up (serious)-that which is true, not a common belief held by us, but something that is correct regardless of what we think or what is the perceived reality; for example if we think water is H30 but the actual truth is that it is H20. We don't have to know the actual truth either, actual truth is universal.

Anyone gettin me?

 

[GRoXERs]

I'd say that the idea of "personal truth" is bullshit.
Personal truth is your belief; it may or may not be right, and calling it "truth" lends it more credence than it deserves.

For example, if you are of the opinion that water is H2O and only H2O, you are wrong.
Pure water auto-ionizes into H3O+ and OH-, called hydronium and hydroxide, respectively, in liquid form. Empirically, yes, water is H2O, but individual molecules may not be H2O.

Personal truth is not truth. You may believe it to be so, but if it cannot be proven through direct observation by other people, it cannot be given the status of truth - it is only a guess, however educated it may be.

 

[Matronadena]

depending on how you want to look at it the idea you have sounds decent.

I tend to have a Zen philosophy on the matter..

Truth is all perceptional opinions...there are not " types of truth" as the very concept of truth itself leaves too much room for a personal interpretation.

Fact however is different than truth...as the idea above suggested,
water is mostly hydrogen, and is found all over the universe. Factual
water is H2O truth " sometimes the balance has an extra molecule here and there, but it's still water..
Water is crystal clear (truth, as depending on mineral content water can be very cloudy and murky, so one person visually will see water differently in their mind when the word is mentioned...some will see tap water, some will see muddy water, some will picture an ocean, etc etc)
though what is a " truth" may not always be incorrect as the example of water being clear above shows...yes that's all appearances of water, it's factual in that sense, however because there is no ONE true universal standard to the appearance of ALL water.

I could have made that more clear I suppose, but the main thing Im hitting at is that fact, and truth are different beasts.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Thanks everybody, lots of help as well as witty jookes.

At GRoXERs

Personal truth is not truth. You may believe it to be so, but if it cannot be proven through direct observation by other people, it cannot be given the status of truth - it is only a guess, however educated it may be.

Such as the Theory of evolution, isn't that pretty much true, but actually just a educated guess with support behind it?

Back to the earth was flat thing, though it was only a guess, there probably was much research behind it.

 

[Uncompetative]

All concepts are contextual. There is no absolute truth because absolute truth is a concept whose context cannot be defined.

You may say: "Oh well, I'm talking about facts, you know..."

No I don't. I can't know what you consider to be facts, we can only come to a relative working approximation - e.g. how long is one inch?

You may say: "Stuff that mostly everyone perceives to be Reality, yeah, that's what context I'm talking about..."

No I don't. What you consider to be Reality, what you consider to be Consciousness (that which forms your identity and point of view) will be sufficiently different from someone else that you have no common "Universe of discourse", no Context in which to put any Concepts you may try to definitively construct.

Everything you try to assemble is made out of words. However, what to words mean? If you look up a word in a dictionary you get more words, nothing simplifies to a fundamental "assembly language" (even Mathematics can't be fundamentally reduced to really simple things like Sets, because you have to start with some assumptions called Axioms and if you use the Wikipedia you'll find several alternative approaches to constructing Math from Sets, all of which have problems and paradoxes), everything is a web of inter-related material that you can get a general sense of, but cannot know.

Actually, you can't even rely on the 'fact' that these "other people" (i.e. mostly everyone) exist to be in a comfortable position to form their own Subjective opinions on the nature of Reality and Truth, etc. Although, I admit this argument is somewhat abstract and academic.

Without definitive Concepts, a common "Universe of discourse" and a language that is like shifting sands beneath your feet your attempts at establishing the Absolute Truth about 'Reality' is impossible.

 

[Undeed]

Back to the earth was flat thing, though it was only a guess, there probably was much research behind it.

To my knowledge the research went as far as "There is a horizon, a point we cannot see past. That is where the world must end, and where monsters reside." Sailors and travellers knew this to be false from their journeys, but said nothing for fear of being declared witches or somesuch.

 

[GRoXERs]

Thanks everybody, lots of help as well as witty jookes.

At GRoXERs

Personal truth is not truth. You may believe it to be so, but if it cannot be proven through direct observation by other people, it cannot be given the status of truth - it is only a guess, however educated it may be.

Such as the Theory of evolution, isn't that pretty much true, but actually just a educated guess with support behind it?

Back to the earth was flat thing, though it was only a guess, there probably was much research behind it.

Yes, but evolution's got a hell of a lot of support behind it, and it's pretty directly observable through fossil records. Ditto for the earth being a spheroid - if you were in space, it would be pretty obvious.

 

[Pimppeter2]

words

Intresting veiwpoint, I see where your comming from, vut surely there must be some universal truths, such as colors.

Back to the earth was flat thing, though it was only a guess, there probably was much research behind it.

To my knowledge the research went as far as "There is a horizon, a point we cannot see past. That is where the world must end, and where monsters reside." Sailors and travellers knew this to be false from their journeys, but said nothing for fear of being declared witches or somesuch.

lol @ monsters