Australian Politics Forum - What is Truth?

NorthOfNorth Gold Member Offline OzPolitic Posts: 17258 Gender:	What is Truth? Jul 19^th, 2010 at 7:06am "And what is truth? Is truth unchanging law? We both have truths... Are mine the same as yours?" - Pilate's inquisition from Jesus Christ Superstar. So what is truth? A synonym for god? Can we be certain of more than just our doubt?
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Sprintcyclist Gold Member Offline OzPolitic Posts: 39522 Gender:	Re: What is Truth? Reply #1 - Jul 19^th, 2010 at 8:59am The truth is that which is a fact. eg, wood grows on trees.
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NorthOfNorth Gold Member Offline OzPolitic Posts: 17258 Gender:	Re: What is Truth? Reply #2 - Jul 19^th, 2010 at 9:01am Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 19^th, 2010 at 8:59am: The truth is that which is a fact. eg, wood grows on trees. Is a gesture not also a fact? If so, what is its truth value?
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Sprintcyclist Gold Member Offline OzPolitic Posts: 39522 Gender:	Re: What is Truth? Reply #3 - Jul 19^th, 2010 at 9:11am If the gesture is Julius Ceaser giving a gladiator the thumbs up, it's a significant fact. Some gestures are facts, but hold little significance I suppose
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NorthOfNorth

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Re: What is Truth?
Reply #4 - Jul 19^th, 2010 at 9:55am

Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 19^th, 2010 at 9:11am:

If the gesture is Julius Ceaser giving a gladiator the thumbs up, it's a significant fact.

Some gestures are facts, but hold little significance I suppose

Aren't all gestures facts? Isn't that the point of a gesture (to convey a fact) ?

What's the bet if your wife gave you the finger, that fact would hold a deep significance to you. If so, what truth would she be conveying by it? "You're an arsehole" or is she having a laugh?

Is Truth is more than the totality of all facts? If it is, can we ever know we have reached the totality of all facts? Or can we only be certain of our doubt?

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Conviction is the art of being certain

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Annie Anthrax Gold Member Offline Take the plan, spin it sideways Posts: 7057 Gender:	Re: What is Truth? Reply #5 - Jul 19^th, 2010 at 10:21am There's no right answer to questions like this. I had a similar argument with one of my lecturers last semester about "what is 'good'."
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Sprintcyclist Gold Member Offline OzPolitic Posts: 39522 Gender:	Re: What is Truth? Reply #6 - Jul 19^th, 2010 at 10:30am if i wave to a friend across the street it means something too. Sure, you can call it a fact, but it's not of much significance.
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Soren Gold Member Offline Posts: 25654 Gender:	Re: What is Truth? Reply #7 - Jul 19^th, 2010 at 10:50am NorthOfNorth wrote on Jul 19^th, 2010 at 9:01am: Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 19^th, 2010 at 8:59am: The truth is that which is a fact. eg, wood grows on trees. Is a gesture not also a fact? If so, what is its truth value? You have been reading Wittgeintein?
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muso Gold Member Offline Posts: 13151 Gladstone, Queensland Gender:	Re: What is Truth? Reply #8 - Jul 19^th, 2010 at 10:52am Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 19^th, 2010 at 8:59am: The truth is that which is a fact. eg, wood grows on trees. That's a lie. Wood grows in trees, not on them
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aikmann4 Gold Member Offline Posts: 2093 canberra	Re: What is Truth? Reply #9 - Jul 19^th, 2010 at 11:03am Ask Seer Travis. He knows.
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locutius Gold Member Offline You can't fight in here! It's the War Room Posts: 1817 Queensland Gender:	Re: What is Truth? Reply #10 - Jul 19^th, 2010 at 11:19am Annie Anthrax wrote on Jul 19^th, 2010 at 10:21am: There's no right answer to questions like this. I had a similar argument with one of my lecturers last semester about "what is 'good'." Knowing. I think?
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Annie Anthrax Gold Member Offline Take the plan, spin it sideways Posts: 7057 Gender:	Re: What is Truth? Reply #11 - Jul 19^th, 2010 at 11:24am Loc, the lecturer had a blue drink bottle. He asked if it was good, and I said sure. Then he asked me to point out where the 'good' was. That's when it got a bit weird, but nothing compared to when he explained that it wasn't really blue. I get a headache just thinking about it.
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locutius

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Re: What is Truth?
Reply #12 - Jul 19^th, 2010 at 12:01pm

Soren wrote on Jul 19^th, 2010 at 10:50am:

NorthOfNorth wrote on Jul 19^th, 2010 at 9:01am:

Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 19^th, 2010 at 8:59am:

The truth is that which is a fact.

eg, wood grows on trees.

Is a gesture not also a fact? If so, what is its truth value?

You have been reading Wittgeintein?

Oh oh Wittgeinstein. I may need some headache tablets if I can just get past the Rhino, I'm sure is wedged into the first aid cabinet.

http://budni.by.ru/oncertainty.html very good article

Helian, love topics such as this....but ultimately I have to settle, due to my limited intellectual might and inadequate human senses and the gaps and deceptions that happen between the two and say...truth is what you make it or need to make it.

I like what Moore says, I like even further that Wittgeinstein thought highly of it.

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I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives.

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Lisa Jones Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 39047 Sydney Gender:	Re: What is Truth? Reply #13 - Jul 19^th, 2010 at 12:18pm The search for truth is more precious than its possession.” - Albert Einstein
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NorthOfNorth

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Re: What is Truth?
Reply #14 - Jul 19^th, 2010 at 12:36pm

locutius wrote on Jul 19^th, 2010 at 12:01pm:

Helian, love topics such as this....but ultimately I have to settle, due to my limited intellectual might and inadequate human senses and the gaps and deceptions that happen between the two and say...truth is what you make it or need to make it.

Yeah, they can be a bit of fun... In the end, though I believe truth exists but we can never know whether we've arrived at it... And (as I alluded to in another thread), I believe the best we can attain is a sense of certainty such that the quality of our convictions is the expression of the degree to which we have mastered the art of being certain.

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« Last Edit: Jul 19^th, 2010 at 12:43pm by NorthOfNorth »

Conviction is the art of being certain

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