How do we know what truth is?

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sadiebelle

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First of all, I just want to preface this by saying that I am honestly looking for answers. I’ve only asked a couple questions on these forums and when I do, I always feel like I have to put my guard up, because people tend to assume that my questions are coming from some kind of mean spirited place and can be condescending or rude. So, I just want to make clear that I am trying hard to hold on to Catholicism and asking questions to make sure that I am solid in my faith and can honestly believe it.

Ok, so now that that’s out of the way, my question, which stems from my previous questions, is how do we know what is true. In a general way. How do we judge what is true and what is false? Not just in a religious sense, but I guess that it comes back to religion in the end.

I know that’s a really broad question, so I’ll try to tighten it up if I get some responses.
 
What an excellent question!

There seems to be this thing humans experience, which they call ‘truth.’ There have been numerous theories proposed attempting to clarify exactly what we’re experiencing, and why we call this ‘truth.’

Probably, the most ‘commensensical’ theory proposed to date is known as the Correspondence Theory of Truth. This has numerous formulations as it’s been in philosophical battle for centuries. With every refutation delivering a chip in its armor, a new formulation would be proposed.

What it basically says is that truth is a correspondence between the claim of a proposition, and reality. Truth is a relationship.

For example, if I claim that ‘I am hungry right now’ this proposition would be true if in reality I actually am hungry, and false if I’m not.

So, we’d come to know what truth is by:

(i) Coming to know ‘reality’

and

(ii) Understanding whether a claim about reality actually corresponds with reality.

We’ve been doing such activity since we were little children. When my mother told me ‘Don’t climb on that chair or you’ll fall off’ and I climbed up the chair and fell off, I discerned (although in a very elementary way) that what she said corresponded with reality.

This theory has all kinds of fascinating implications with idea like ‘trust’, ‘lies’, and all sorts of pyschological and philosophical topics.
 
I would have to agree that truth, as we comprehend it, is a relationship between our experience and actual reality - the degree of truth is the degree to which what we see, touch, taste, feel or otherwise experience marries up with what actually exists in the real world. As such, ‘truth’ is mutable according as we discover more about the reality of which we are a part.

Be that as it may, it seems many people have a different concept of ‘truth’ - as an entity in and of itself, that exists whether we perceive it or not. Such ‘truth’ tends to create divisions between believers and nonbelievers when it comes to a debate about who has ‘access’ to truth and who is cut off from truth. Personally, I think such ‘truth’ is imaginary - a correspondence that cannot be demonstrated (because if it could be so, there would be no argument) and is therefore worthless as any measure of reality.
 
Truth is simply reality. Now some truth is subjective such as the statement “I like pizza.” We can only trust that I am not lying whenever I say this. There is also objeective truth such as the pizza is on the table. You can look at the table and know for sure that the pizza is on the table.
If we apply this to religion I believe we can figure out a few important things. We know as an objective truth that there is a God (or first cause). We know that something started the whole universe. The proof is simply the universe. Next you must decide if you believe this God is a personal one which has made contact with humanity over the years and eventually was incarnated into Jesus Christ who preached, performed miracles, and died for us on the cross. You have to decide if you have faith at this point. Do you trust the prophets, do you believe that God inspired them? Do you trust Christ, do you think he was insane, evil, or God? Do you trust the Apostles and the Gospels and the Catholic Church, do you believe that the Holy Spirit has been working through these institutions? It is your faith in all these things that show you if the Catholic faith and Christianity are true. And don’t be afraid to ask any questions you have 🙂
Hope this helps
 
Truth can be a philosophical nightmare when you start to look at things people do or say in this world and decide if they are true or false. We can’t read minds, and we can’t even conduct perfect scientific experiments due to quantum mechanical effects. You can resort to relativism like Pontius Pilate did in this passage from John 18:33-38
So Pilate went back into the praetorium and summoned Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants (would) be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.” So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Pilate said to him, "What is truth?"
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Pilate chose to take the philisophical view that absolute truth cannot be defined because it is different depending on your point of view. However, Jesus told him that He “came into the world to testify to the truth.” Who does Jesus testify to? His heavenly Father, of course. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about the Father and the Son. And whoever believes in the Son also believes in the Father, because the Son is the Father’s representative on Earth.

The bottom line is that this world is only a shadow. It reflects the Truth that is God, because God created all things. But creations themselves are not Truth, only God Himself is the Eternal Truth. If you’re looking for absolute truths here on Earth, the only ones you will find are taught in the Catholic Church which Jesus founded. Searching for truth outside the Church will only frustrate you, because it doesn’t exist “out there”.

I will pray for you.
 
sadiebelle said:
First of all, I just want to preface this by saying that I am honestly looking for answers. I’ve only asked a couple questions on these forums and when I do, I always feel like I have to put my guard up, because people tend to assume that my questions are coming from some kind of mean spirited place and can be condescending or rude. So, I just want to make clear that I am trying hard to hold on to Catholicism and asking questions to make sure that I am solid in my faith and can honestly believe it.

Ok, so now that that’s out of the way, my question, which stems from my previous questions, is how do we know what is true. In a general way. How do we judge what is true and what is false? Not just in a religious sense, but I guess that it comes back to religion in the end.

I know that’s a really broad question, so I’ll try to tighten it up if I get some responses.
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You already know the answer.
In a domain of material objects we move around and take a look.
In a domain of perceptual objects, we already know what is true or else rely on intuition.
 
Sair said:
I would have to agree that truth, as we comprehend it, is a relationship between our experience and actual reality - the degree of truth is the degree to which what we see, touch, taste, feel or otherwise experience marries up with what actually exists in the real world.
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The problem lies in the assumption that there are these two separate “items” - (1) our experience and (2) actual reality - as if they must be compared with each other - like apples and oranges.

This assumption lands us in a terrible quandary. How can we get “out” of our experience so we can compare it with actual reality? Or how can we get access to actual reality so we can compare it with our experience?

It doesn’t seem possible. Everything in our awareness is part of our experience. So how do we get out the door, so to speak?

Well, maybe we don’t have to. We are always and already in the realm of disclosure. We do not have to find a bridge between our experience and actual reality. Even in our everyday life, we are already in the “truth” although not the whole “truth” and nothing but the “truth”.
 
Sadie,

It doesn’t have to boil down to religion. Jonesboy is right, as brief as his answer was. “Truth” is the correspondence of the mind with reality; so when we think that something is so, and it is so in reality, then we know “truth”. Is that what you mean?
 
DianaCC said:
Sadie,

It doesn’t have to boil down to religion. Jonesboy is right, as brief as his answer was. “Truth” is the correspondence of the mind with reality; so when we think that something is so, and it is so in reality, then we know “truth”. Is that what you mean?
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First of all thank you all for the answers so far.

I guess what I’m getting at is if there is one way that is the best way to discover reality. I understand that what is real never changes, but our knowledge of it and our understanding of it change as we get more information. And it makes sense to me that we call that truth.

So, I guess that what I’m really asking is what is reality? And how do we go about finding it? I mean, at one time the truth was that the earth was flat, but the reality is that it has always been round. Am I on the right track here?
 
sadiebelle said:
So, I guess that what I’m really asking is what is reality? And how do we go about finding it? I mean, at one time the truth was that the earth was flat, but the reality is that it has always been round. Am I on the right track here?
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You’re on the right track. Unfortunately “reality” is an undefinable concept. A good definition says what something is; since reality *is *what is, there remains nothing else in terms of which to define it. But we go about investigating it through reflection on what comes through the senses. Everyone knows the earth looks flat, but once we reflect on the finer points such as ships in the distance and the different time zones and so on it becomes obvious that what we are seeing is just a special case of a bigger concept, that a really big ball looks flat up close. But this is a truth about physical objects; truths about mathematics for example are different because they don’t start with observations but with ideas, and we investigate these by argument rather than by sense.
 
sadiebelle said:
First of all thank you all for the answers so far.

I guess what I’m getting at is if there is one way that is the best way to discover reality. I understand that what is real never changes, but our knowledge of it and our understanding of it change as we get more information. And it makes sense to me that we call that truth.

So, I guess that what I’m really asking is what is reality? And how do we go about finding it? I mean, at one time the truth was that the earth was flat, but the reality is that it has always been round. Am I on the right track here?
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You said what is real never changes. I think you are partly right. Some things change and some things don’t. For instance, you might be trying to learn all about the inner workings of computers. Then you decide to stop learning about computers for 20 years or so and when you start learning again you realize that the playing field is very different.

There are different ways of knowing…

philosophy
science
mathematics
testimony
and even sometimes areas such as intuition.

Knowledge is not always in the form of propositions such as ‘the earth is round’. Just as someone knows how to ski but couldn’t teach skiing in a classroom setting, so too can experience be a form of knowledge.

A common pitfall is confusing the different kinds of knowledge with each other and thus confusing the different kinds of evidence that supports such knowledge.
 
sadiebelle said:
…how do we know what is true. In a general way. How do we judge what is true and what is false? Not just in a religious sense, but I guess that it comes back to religion in the end.
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I find this question very interesting, for I have young children, and one day they will be asking the same.

Since you posted this question under philosophy and you mentioned you are trying to hold onto Catholicism, I assume you are seeking to know which philosophy of living/practice of religion (including lack thereof) is “The Truth” or is “The Best.”

First, you must identify: Are you seeking the Truth regarding (A)how to achieve and/or spread the greatest level of peace, happiness, and/or longevity or (B)the existence of God(s)?

I personally seek “How to achieve & spread the greatest culmination of peace, happiness, & longevity?”

If you are seeking the Truth regarding the existence of God(s), unfortunately I can only recommend believing based on the answer to the first Truth because the Word of “how to live” is the only evidence of existence that is differentiated from various religions.

Second, clear the mind of judgments and seek to understand principles, not the people trying to practice the principles. Every religion, faith, life practice has its hypocrites, and if you judge the practice by a hypocrite, you may be missing out on an amazing practice.

Third, gain great knowledge of the principles and understanding of how to practice the principles.

Fourth, experiment with the practices and evaluate how well they work in achieving the goal.

Fifth, the method that yields the goal is the Truth.

I encourage you to heavily focus on the Greatest Commandment, paraphrased “to Love as Jesus Loved” or Unconditional Patience and Kindness with God as the Motivation, for two reasons:
  1. It is the Best Method to achieve the goal in its entirety.
  2. All other philosophies are somehow based on this or are attempting to achieve something less or different than the Goal.
    I would gladly go into further detail regarding the realization of the Truth in Catholicism, but only if you are interested.
I hope this will strengthen your belief in Catholicism and does not hurt it, for Catholicism is the best, and it greatly enriches my life with greater peace, happiness, longevity, and affirms my knowledge of God’s Existence! I would definitely appreciate hearing your thoughts, including criticisms, so I may better prepare for the day when my children ask.
 
sadiebelle said:
So, I guess that what I’m really asking is what is reality? And how do we go about finding it? I mean, at one time the truth was that the earth was flat, but the reality is that it has always been round. Am I on the right track here?
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Given the incomplete information we have about the world and the potential foulability of our perception I think some one is justified to hold the position that 100% confidence in what we believe to be real is for the most part not achievable. That position by itself doesn’t lead to any place useful. So we have to make the assumption that our perceptions or a description of reality at least some of the time and take the chance. With that assumption you can at least start to explore the world and engage in some trial and error (which is what we and many other life forms, including non-human, end up doing).

Given your stated religion I’m going to assume that you are asking this specifically about Catholicism. I’m not a believer of any religion but I won’t try to convince you that my position is the “correct” one (since I don’t know that it is, though I do think it’s a justifiable one). I’m assuming that I only live one life (or if I live more than one then I don’t carry the knowledge and experience that I gather to my next one). So trial and error may not be the best method to go about exploring religion. There’s several philosophers both living and dead whose writings and content may better equip you to think about different aspects of your questions but unfortunately I don’t think that there’s anything that will give you 100% certainty.

But I wish you well with what ever pathway you choose.
 
All creation is made by God and reflects God in its essence. This is a spiritual quality inherent in all created things as part of its formal cause. This is a tenant of Thomism and scholasticism, both of which are offered in official Magisterial Teaching as worthy of ascent.

Our intellect being an image of God in us is part of our spiritual soul. It is this spiritual quality that our ideas correspond to, the spiritual essence of what is real imaged in the spiritual essence of our being, “The object known is in the knower”. ST. 1. Q.16. a.1

Philosophies since Descartes and Francis Bacon all seem to deny this formal cause as well as final causality, the end or perfection of an existent thing. This negatively affects how we know things in themselves and its relation to God, and modern philosophies build upon this to the separation of subject from the object, of spiritual aspects from the material, and even to the denial of God Himself. Rom. 1:21-22 “… but became vain in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened. For professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”

God is the source of truth and the first cause of all there is. When we approach truth from this revealed knowledge of God as the Creator we can order rightly all other hierarchical truths leading from this first cause.
 
sadiebelle said:
First of all, I just want to preface this by saying that I am honestly looking for answers. I’ve only asked a couple questions on these forums and when I do, I always feel like I have to put my guard up, because people tend to assume that my questions are coming from some kind of mean spirited place and can be condescending or rude. So, I just want to make clear that I am trying hard to hold on to Catholicism and asking questions to make sure that I am solid in my faith and can honestly believe it.

Ok, so now that that’s out of the way, my question, which stems from my previous questions, is how do we know what is true. In a general way. How do we judge what is true and what is false? Not just in a religious sense, but I guess that it comes back to religion in the end.

I know that’s a really broad question, so I’ll try to tighten it up if I get some responses.
Click to expand...
We know that Christ said I am the truth the light and the way. So the best way to find the truth is from Chirst.

He tells us the Church is the Pilar of all truth.

SO you are on the right track looking toward your Catholic faith.

The way I know the CC is the truth and will never sway from it, is because a promise we have from God. He said that when he was leaving he was sending the advocate the Holy Spirit to guard the Church into all truth.

So we know that when the Priests, Bishiops. Pope speak and tell us it comes from God it does. We have that promise from God himself. The gates of hell will not prevail.
 
sadiebelle said:
First of all, I just want to preface this by saying that I am honestly looking for answers. I’ve only asked a couple questions on these forums and when I do, I always feel like I have to put my guard up, because people tend to assume that my questions are coming from some kind of mean spirited place and can be condescending or rude. So, I just want to make clear that I am trying hard to hold on to Catholicism and asking questions to make sure that I am solid in my faith and can honestly believe it.

Ok, so now that that’s out of the way, my question, which stems from my previous questions, is how do we know what is true. In a general way. How do we judge what is true and what is false? Not just in a religious sense, but I guess that it comes back to religion in the end.

I know that’s a really broad question, so I’ll try to tighten it up if I get some responses.
Click to expand...
When someone lies to us about, say, using a piece of our property without permission and not returning it (I use this example because it’s happened to me on numerous occasions recently), then the truth has been abrogated/denied. We do this for all kinds of reasons-mainly to protect or otherwise benefit ourselves in some way-but it’s often done way too easily/cavalierly, and it’s an awful thing* whenever* we deny or withhold the truth from someone unless for the exceptional case where telling the truth may cause innocents to be harmed for one reason or another.

Anyway we lie because 1) we’re obviously capable of doing so, and 2) we somehow, generally speaking, think we have the right to do it. In any case we often don’t take truth seriously-the whole world operates on lies to some degree- unless we decide at some point.to elevate truth above our own personal interests. This is similar to elevating God, who is said to be truth, BTW, to His proper status in our minds-because in both cases, we’re subjugating ourselves to something we’ve decided is “bigger” than us, in a way, while we’re conscious that we don’t have to do it-and that the world, generally speaking doesn’t do it.
 
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