Truth

“Truth means seeing reality as it is.” –SheedTruth means “telling it like it is” –Kreeft“Saying of what is that it is and of what is not that it is not” –Aristotle

Mystery Box

• Sliotar (hurling)• Solid Bronze baseball• $5• $50• Bug ball• Gently used Diaper

• Does what the object is (the truth of the object) change based on your interpretation or guess of what it is?

Types of Truth

• The two types of truth are objective and subjective truth.

Truth• “The question of whether we can

know objective truth is one of the most important questions in apologetics, because…most arguments…eventually come down to this point.” p. 132 in Handbook

Characteristics of Objective Truth

• It is whether or not we – Know it– Like it

or– Believe it

Characteristics of Objective Truth

• Objective: truth exists and is independent of the knower and his consciousness

• Absolute: applies to all circumstances for all times

• Universal: applies to all people• Immutable: unchanging

Red balloon

Subjective Truth

• Definition: Truth as understood by the individual subject. (I statements)

• The relationship that “my mind” has with objective truth

• Not an opinion– Opinion: a personal interpretation of

reality that can be either correct or incorrect (universals)

Objective (O) or Subjective (S) Statements?

_____ I believe in God_____ God exists_____ I like God_____ I do not believe in God_____ I do not like God_____ God does not exist_____ I know that God exists_____ I don’t know/care whether or not God

exists_____ Maybe God exists, maybe he doesn’t

Why does it matter?

• If you are driving down the road and you see a pile of leaves…

• Objectively…there could be something hidden in it that could cause damage

• Subjectively…you decide that there is nothing that could cause damage

• So, naturally, you run into the pile of leaves…

• The result?

Contradictions• What is a contradiction?

– A logical incompatibility (nonsense); there is no logical way to reconcile the differences

– A 4-sided triangle• In exercises of reason we seek to point out

contradictions in the arguments of others and they seek to point them out in our arguments.

• Contradictions and truth are incompatible.

• What contradictions does Christianity get accused of?– Jesus: God/man, Trinity: 3=1?, Justice/Mercy,

Problem of evil, Hell/God is love

Paradox• What is a paradox?

– What at first appears to be a contradiction but upon further investigation is not; the differences can be reconciled

– Christianity is full of paradox but not contradiction for contradictions are false while paradoxes are not.

• Example: near miss

Contradictions• Law of non-contradiction: a thing

cannot be true and untrue at the same time and in the same respect (or what it is and what it is not).

• X cannot be both X and not-X at the same time in the same way.

• God cannot exist and not exist at the same time. One has to be true, one has to be false.

• Lived example: The driver next to you cannot hit you and not hit you at the same time.

Attacks against Objective Truth

• Relativism: all truth is subjective (aka subjectivism)– ‘What you say may be true for you, but not for

me. Truth is relative’.– Relativism says there is no error. (“It’s

whatever” –Brandon Sand)– Would it be ok to claim that 2+2=whatever

you want? Why or why not?

• To refute logically: The claim that all truth is subjective, (dependent upon the knower) is self-contradictory; for it claims that truth is objectively subjective.

Attacks against Objective TruthRelativism

• Another way to refute: – Take the relativist’s wallet

Relativism• We see relativism especially when we come to ideas

bearing on religion and morality: all beliefs are considered to be what individuals think and feel they are.

• Religious subjectivism sees religion as “true for you, but not for me,” i.e., we make up our own religions. This is very popular today. – There are subjective aspects of religion, but it is not all

subjective.

• Why is it so popular?• Can we really live in a world that

operates like this?

Attacks against Objective Truth

• Rationalism: truth is only what can be clearly and distinctly known and proved by reason

• It is an “attack” on objective truth because it seeks to diminish the nature and amount of objective truth. – Remember: Objective truth is whether or not

we know it, like it, or believe it

• To refute logically: Rationalism is irrational in that you can’t prove rationally that truth is only that which can be proved.

Attacks against Objective Truth• Skepticism: a philosophical doubt in the

ability for anyone to know objective truth– Absolute vs. modified– The skeptic says there is no truth

• To refute logically: skepticism is a self-contradiction: how would you know that you can’t know?

• Is this really how we live?– Sunny outside, it is or it isn’t and that’s how we

live and act.

Skepticism is Self-Contradictory:

“There is no truth.”Is that true?

“There is not objective truth.”Is that truth objective?

“Truth is not universal.”Except that truth.

Skepticism is Self-Contradictory:

“No one can know truth.”Except you, I suppose.

“Truth is uncertain.”Are you certain that’s certain?

“All generalizations are false”Including that one?

Attacks against Objective Truth

• Irenicism– False tolerance: attempt to set aside

differences of truth as if they do not exist– Maintains truth is irrelevant– Maintains the claims to truth only lead to

conflict– Maintains that ‘peace’ is achieved by simply

ignoring the differences

• To refute logically: remind them of the law of non-contradiction

Attacks against Objective Truth

1. Relativist (pragmatic, empiricist, emotivist)

2. Rationalist3. Skeptic4. Irenicist

Your first “apology”: You will seek to defend objective truth against a person who falls into one of the above categories.

Alternative Theories of Truth

• Pragmatic Theory of Truth– Truth is what “works”– What “works” is a subjective truth in this

theory.– Is everything that is practical true? (a

successful lie)– Is everything that is true practical? (death)– Practical, pragmatic, “works” are all words that

mean “means” as in “means to an end”.– Means need an end or else they are not

practical, but an end implies something greater than simply the means, or what works, so the theory defeats itself.

Alternative Theories of Truth

• Empiricist Theory of Truth– Truth is what we can sense– However, we all know our senses can be

deceived. (mirage)– Some things that we know to be true are

not sensed at all (9x9=81)– Because of these problems it would

seem very difficult to convince someone logically that truth is identical with sense.

Alternative Theories of Truth

• Emotivist Theory of Truth– Truth is what I feel – It feels so right how can it be wrong? We

all, hopefully, know this can be a dangerous game to play.

– E.g. Monster in the closet, superstitions, infatuations

– Many truths are not felt. Do you feel like this is a podium?

– Feelings can change with the weather…literally.

Alternative Theories of Truth:Truth is…

• Pragmatic: what works for me• Empiricist: what I sense• Emotivist: what I feel• Rationalist: what is proved by reason

alone• We pointed out logical objections to

each of the above, what logical objections are there to the objective theory?

First Apology