Philosophy Truth Essay Research Paper Truth That

Philosophy: Truth Essay, Research Paper

Truth! That is a word that philosophers have been arguing about for a good while! Truth is a state of mind free of error, a state of mind, which is an accurate reflection of things in existence, of the things about you. Truth is unchangeable; it is ageless and constant. It does not vary nor shift, it is a piece of unalterable reality. Therefore, truth is the same for all of us. So is the expression “What is true for you is not true for me” actually true?

Another thing pertaining truth is that discovery serves a purpose. To determine the true state of being of your physical surroundings is important to a person’s life. For example; say the mail man was delivering mail and was about to cross the street (walking of course). Now if a car was coming do you think he would step right in front of it? Of course not, unless, he was not aware of his physical surroundings.

Going on from truth, is knowledge. What exactly is that? Well, to me it is the mental image, a faithful reflection of the state of being as they really do exist. So is knowledge subjective or objective? Being objective it can be attached and defended with out reference to the one who holds the statement that their piece of knowledge is correct, or that it is false.

So how much of what we have thought was true, actually is true? We probably will never know unless we experience and examine it for ourselves, which brings us to evidence. Two kinds of evidence exist. First hand and second hand evidence. Which is used more often? Studies show that second hand is often used. News and newspapers are both second hand evidence, which millions read and watch daily. For example, if someone says something and for him or her to send that message to another person, is it going to be passed on exactly the same? Probably not unless it is written it down, and even then the person reading could interpret it in a different way. Most people would prefer getting most information using second hand evidence. Unlike most, I would rather experience for myself such things as bungee jumping and skydiving and crazy stunts of that nature. Even though someone could tell me about his or her experiences, I still want to experience it for myself!

The theory knowing equals evidence plus believe plus truth is quite confusing. Bringing little pieces together helps me comprehend more on what the theory is actually saying. So do we really know truth? And “IS THERE PROOF THAT WE KNOW TRUTH EXIST”? Those questions may always be unanswered, but do we really care of what is really true and if we know? We haven’t really cared in the past, and if we have we’ve been great at hiding our curiosity.

The process of “knowing” involves the evidence that is available and upon weather to believe in the evidence, all which must have truth within them. By piecing the different parts such as evidence, belief and truth, a better understanding of “knowing” can be obtained. So does truth really exist? Truth can be put to the test but there’s always questions surrounding how to test and prove that truth exist. Many of those questions will always be unanswered but we have grown to accept and believe what we have been taught and can physically examine.