we can never be absolutely certain of what is true — Possibility
In terms of human volition, there are two aspect one may consider: permission, and power. To a parent, the aspect of permission is important: " you may have an ice cream after dinner." To Schopenhauer, power is important. "You might choose your beliefs." That's because, if you are concerned with objective reality, the principal problem you have is to define causality objectively. Compared to that, every other issue is basically trite. — ernestm
There is a simpler way to deal with this. Science has little to nothing to say about ‘truth’ but a lot to say about ‘facts’. Logic has little to nothing to say about facts but a lot to say about ‘truths’ - and there are different kinds of truths some of which are universal when set within strict parameters (that is precisely why propositional logic is useful).
Probability is much more well established in mathematics, which in turn can be put to use in the sciences but only with an error of margin ever present.
Potential refers to known possibilities and probable refers to known potential outcomes. But there could very well be unknown potential outcomes (which is clearly the case in reality as we’re unable to take into account every little variable).
1+1=2 is objectively true in basic arithmetic. In abstraction universals are used that can be mapped onto reality and allow us to make extremely accurate predictions in some situations and much less accurate predictions in other situations - it depend on how many variables there are , and how accurately they are accounted for.
The rest is purely a linguistic issue. Given that in day-to-day life we’re not inclined to use the terms ‘truth’ and ‘objective’ in anything other than gist manner it is no wonder that when we dog further there are clear misinterpretations and miscommunications. — I like sushi
Then it's true that this is a perceived limitation of the perspective from which you are asking the question, and that is the case whether I agree or not from my perspective (objective)? In talking about the nature of your perspective, are you speaking the truth, and is how you explain your perspective how it actually is even though I might disagree? Would I be wrong in disagreeing? What would that mean - to be wrong, or right about the nature of your perspective? — Harry Hindu
So you're saying that the nature of reality within this discussion is different than outside of this discussion? — Harry Hindu
Is it true that the ‘Objective truth’ is a concept whose meaning is in dispute? It seems to me that what is in dispute is that the ‘Objective truth’ is a concept whose meaning is in dispute. — Harry Hindu
Did anyone say what "objective truth" is? It seems to me that before anything can be said categorically, the thing spoken of ought to be reasonably well understood. I do not understand what is meant by "objective truth." Anyone take a moment and straighten me out? — tim wood
Did anyone say what "objective truth" is? It seems to me that before anything can be said categorically, the thing spoken of ought to be reasonably well understood. I do not understand what is meant by "objective truth." Anyone take a moment and straighten me out? — tim wood
we can never be absolutely certain of what is true
— Possibility
But that's just not right.
Or better, the word "absolutely" sits there making a perfectly normal sentence into a bit of metaphysical nonsense.
"We never know what is true" is obviously wrong, since we everything we know is indeed true - otherwise it would be incorrect to claim to know it.
And further it is true that this sentence is in English, written by me and read by you; and further, that we are certain of these things. Doubt here is senseless.
And there is that word "objective", propped up again against "truth" as if it made a difference. If you are not sure what it is, then don't use it. — Banno
My point in asking was to see if any preliminary navigation had been done. "Truth," whether or not flanked by adjectives, eludes definition except perhaps as an abstract generic quality of some propositions. And that, and your notion of the "gistness" of things, seems about the best anyone can do - unless of course someone does better here and now. — tim wood
Objective truth should be contrasted with subjective truth. Objective truths are quite mind-independent. For example, the Earth has one moon reflects a state-of-affairs that exists apart from any mind. In other words, one could eliminate all minds, and the fact would still obtain. There might not be anyone around to apprehend the objective truth, but the fact would still exist.
Subjective truths, on the other hand, are mind-dependent. For example, "Tim likes apples," is dependent on Tim for its truth or falsity, i.e., it is either the case that Tim does or does not like apples. The truth of the statement, for Tim, is subjective, dependent on the subject, his taste, likes or dislikes, etc. Eliminate all minds and you eliminate all subjective truths. — Sam26
But what you state is ‘true’ is not always going to be identical to what I understand to be ‘true’, and even if we agree, it may not be with the same degree of certainty. — Possibility
I'm suggesting that "objective" just serves to confuse the issue with which you wish to grapple. Certainly the thread could take on board Sam's suggestion that it be considered as contrasted with "subjective", but doing so serves to blunt the questions you have posed.And there is that word "objective", propped up again against "truth" as if it made a difference. If you are not sure what it is, then don't use it. — Banno
SO we sometimes disagree as to the facts. Sure do.
That's a very different observation to the stuff set out in the OP. Much less of the dramatic metaphysical speculation. Is that all this thread is about? — Banno
I'm suggesting that "objective" just serves to confuse the issue with which you wish to grapple. Certainly the thread could take on board Sam's suggestion that it be considered as contrasted with "subjective", but doing so serves to blunt the questions you have posed. — Banno
Objective truth should be contrasted with subjective truth. Objective truths are quite mind-independent. For example, the Earth has one moon reflects a state-of-affairs that exists apart from any mind. In other words, one could eliminate all minds, and the fact would still obtain. There might not be anyone around to apprehend the objective truth, but the fact would still exist.
Subjective truths, on the other hand, are mind-dependent. For example, "Tim likes apples," is dependent on Tim for its truth or falsity, i.e., it is either the case that Tim does or does not like apples. The truth of the statement, for Tim, is subjective, dependent on the subject, his taste, likes or dislikes, etc. Eliminate all minds and you eliminate all subjective truths. — Sam26
I disagree that ‘objective’ contrasts with ‘subjective’ in relation to truth. — Possibility
By my understanding, the possibility of a truth that is ‘objective’ must correlate all possible perspectives of ‘truth’, including those we may not believe are ‘subjective’, such as logic and mathematics. — Possibility
Do we then conclude that we can never have objective truth? — Banno
“Objectivity is a philosophical concept of being true independently from individual subjectivity caused by perception, emotions, or imagination. A proposition is considered to have objective truth when its truth conditions are met without bias caused by a sentient subject.” - Wikipedia — Possibility
What's all that?But if you’d rather go the way of reductionism, then you can’t ignore quantum mechanics, which brings us back to uncertainty, potentiality and the binary relations of possibility. Either way, we’re here - and the philosophical route is easier for me to navigate than quantum physics. — Possibility
Watch - it'll come.Who drew that conclusion? — Possibility
Yep, Wiki agrees with Sam, then adds a bit of ambiguity.
Nagel rather misfired, it seems to me. Rather than "a view from nowhere" I'd phrase it as "a view from anywhere", as opposed to "my view".
But if you’d rather go the way of reductionism, then you can’t ignore quantum mechanics, which brings us back to uncertainty, potentiality and the binary relations of possibility. Either way, we’re here - and the philosophical route is easier for me to navigate than quantum physics.
— Possibility
What's all that? — Banno
Objectively speaking, ‘facts’ are dimensionally located answers to dimensionally located questions. For a fact to exist, a question needs to be asked. This relates to quantum theory, in which it is the question that ultimately determines the answer. — Possibility
"Tim likes apples" is not objectively true? Isn't it a fact that Tim likes apples? Are you saying there are subjective facts? — jamalrob
And if "Tim likes apples" is subjectively true because it's "dependent on Tim for its truth or falsity", then "Slavoj Zizek is a philosopher" is also subjectively true, because it's similarly dependent on Slavoj Zizek. — jamalrob
I imagine you might go on to say that subjective truths are only about a person's "taste, likes or dislikes, etc", as if those were something private and inaccessible. But those things are expressed in a person's behaviour: Tim's taste for apples can be seen in his excessive consumption of apples, and Zizek's taste for thinking about Hegel is expressed in the fact that he's a philosopher who writes about Hegel. — jamalrob
Right. There is no way we can distinguish truth value objectively, there is no way we can think anything objectively or do anything whatsoever objectively. We are all subjects. Objective truth has nothing to do with what we think; it is out there independent of us. Every conceivable statement about existence has a truth value which we cannot know or distinguish. A statement about the existence of God has an objective truth value. It is either objectively true or objectively false. We don’t know which; we only know that it can’t be both and it can’t be neither since that would be logically impossible. Nothing can both exist and not exist. “A = not A” is logically impossible.You can insist on the existence of an objective truth value, but its existence is only ever a possibility, just like the existence of ‘God’. Any statement you make regarding the existence or properties of this ‘objective truth value’ is both true and false, or neither, because there is no way of distinguishing its value objectively. — Possibility
Is it true? I think it is, but who am I to declare what is true? — Possibility
I agree that the statement “We never know what is true” is logically false, given a mutual understanding that claims to ‘knowledge’ are claims to ‘truth’. — Possibility
You seem to be contradicting yourself. In speaking with me, you say that we can't know the truth - you can't even assert that what you said is true, yet with Banno, you acknowledge that we can know what it is true, and that what Banno says is fact. :lol:I had a feeling I could count on you, Banno. Your perspective, limited though it is, has been presented as indisputable fact, as always. — Possibility
So in using something you are able to declare what is true? In using, are you not attempting to falsify the information you have about the object you are using? Are we not performing a falsification of the scientific theories that the technology is based on when using our smartphones? When the smartphone doesn't work when using it a certain way, is that a limitation of the smartphone, or a limitation of you knowledge of how the smartphone works and is supposed to be used?So it is in using it that we develop confidence in what it is. Prediction error enables the organism to construct a more accurate interoceptive map of reality. — Possibility
I gave my explanation in my reply to SophistiCat on the first page.The question I have is: what is your perspective of the possibility of ‘objective truth’ as a concept? — Possibility
Seems to me that "objective truth" is only hazy on a philosophy forum. Objectivity and truth are often used interchangeably. You are asserting truth (asserting truth doesn't mean that what you are asserting is actually true - only that you intend for it to be interpreted as a given and the basis for your other forthcoming ideas that are intended to be a given as well because disagreeing would mean that you are wrong and I am right) any time you make a statement that you intend to be about the shared world. Being that some statement is about the shared world means that it is objective - that we all are shaped by and beholden to, the same truth, even if we don't believe it (delusions)). — Harry Hindu
"Tim likes apples" is not objectively true? Isn't it a fact that Tim likes apples? Are you saying there are subjective facts? — jamalrob
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