Truth: Difference between revisions
imported>Derek Hodges (Face of truth? not exactly true) |
imported>Larry Sanger mNo edit summary |
||
| Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
[[Image:Bocca-della-Verita.jpg|thumb|150px|The ''Boca della Verita'' or ''Mouth of Truth'' in Rome. Photo by Jerzy Strzelecki]] | [[Image:Bocca-della-Verita.jpg|thumb|150px|The ''Boca della Verita'' or ''Mouth of Truth'' in Rome. Photo by Jerzy Strzelecki]] | ||
'''Truth''' is spoken about in two ways: either as deep, important [[wisdom]], or as a certain desirable quality of any [[statement]], no matter how trivial. [[theology|Religious thinkers]] sometimes speak of ''the Truth''—with a capital "T"—as meaning an entire [[worldview]], or | '''Truth''' is spoken about in two ways: either as deep, important [[wisdom]], or as a certain desirable quality of any [[statement]], no matter how trivial. [[theology|Religious thinkers]] sometimes speak of ''the Truth''—with a capital "T"—as meaning an entire [[worldview]], or some deeply important insight, or even [[God]] himself.<ref>The [[Bible]] verse John 14:6 has [[Jesus]] say, famously, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."</ref> By contrast, for contemporary [[philosophy|philosophers]], the topic of truth is a rather abstract, [[technical philosophy|technical]] one in the [[philosophy of language]]: they study what we mean whenever we say that any casual claim, such as the claim that I just arrived home, is ''true.'' For discussion of deep Truth, we recommend that you consult the articles [[religion]], [[wisdom]], [[enlightenment]], [[God]], and [[worldview]]. The following article concerns the abstract, technical topic. | ||
The word "truth" also has a history of being used as a [[polemic|polemical]] tool, as when a person tries to exaggerate the believability of a statement by such phrasing as, "It's the pure and simple truth"<ref>[[Oscar Wilde]] made a famous rebuttal of this tactic: "The truth is rarely pure and never simple" (from ''The Importance of Being Ernest'', Act I).</ref>, as though increasing the emphasis thereby proves the assertion. | The word "truth" also has a history of being used as a [[polemic|polemical]] tool, as when a person tries to exaggerate the believability of a statement by such phrasing as, "It's the pure and simple truth"<ref>[[Oscar Wilde]] made a famous rebuttal of this tactic: "The truth is rarely pure and never simple" (from ''The Importance of Being Ernest'', Act I).</ref>, as though increasing the emphasis thereby proves the assertion. | ||
Revision as of 10:29, 8 May 2008
Truth is spoken about in two ways: either as deep, important wisdom, or as a certain desirable quality of any statement, no matter how trivial. Religious thinkers sometimes speak of the Truth—with a capital "T"—as meaning an entire worldview, or some deeply important insight, or even God himself.[1] By contrast, for contemporary philosophers, the topic of truth is a rather abstract, technical one in the philosophy of language: they study what we mean whenever we say that any casual claim, such as the claim that I just arrived home, is true. For discussion of deep Truth, we recommend that you consult the articles religion, wisdom, enlightenment, God, and worldview. The following article concerns the abstract, technical topic.
The word "truth" also has a history of being used as a polemical tool, as when a person tries to exaggerate the believability of a statement by such phrasing as, "It's the pure and simple truth"[2], as though increasing the emphasis thereby proves the assertion.
Notes
- ↑ The Bible verse John 14:6 has Jesus say, famously, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
- ↑ Oscar Wilde made a famous rebuttal of this tactic: "The truth is rarely pure and never simple" (from The Importance of Being Ernest, Act I).