What is truth? Does it exist?
‘Truth’ is
defined as that which is accordance with fact or reality. Common things that
are considered to be ‘true’ are things such as “the sky is blue”, “It is
Tuesday”, and “my shirt is green”. However, just because these things seem to
be this way, does not mean that it is actually ‘true’. I tend to think of
Descartes Meditations when I think of ‘truth’. Descartes makes the point that,
when we are dreaming, everything that happens seems real, yet when we wake up
we know that it did not actually happen. Therefore, how do we know that what is
happening in our everyday life is real and ‘true’. While the nature of ‘truth’
is to say that it is fact, there is a possibility that this may not be
accurate, as we cannot know if what we experience is ‘true’.‘Truth’ is unique
per individual, because knowledge is most likely impossible. I say most likely,
because there is no way to know if knowledge is most likely impossible or not.
We can think we know things, but there is no proof that we actually do know
them. This is why every person has his or her own individual view of what ‘truth’
is. Experiences in life are what shapes perspective. Everything a person sees,
experiences, does, reads, etc. influences their view on life. This too
influences their idea of ‘truth’. Everyone has different experiences, therefore
leading to different ideas of ‘truth’.
For example,
memory is something that distorts our version of ‘truth’. When two people
experience the exact same situation but later recount it separately, the story
changes per person. This is something that is constantly seen in court when
witnesses proclaim their account of the story. Each individual who was there is
inclined to believe that his or her version of the story is ‘true’.
Because everyone
has a different account of what is ‘true’, there can be no universal ‘truths’.
There can be topics that are widely agreed upon, but they cannot necessarily be
deemed as ‘true’. This is unsettling to many people because it extinguishes the
view that there is a universal moral code. We cannot claim to have a universal
moral code because not everyone will agree with it. If not everyone agrees to
it, it is not universal. And who are we to tell others how to live? People
should not dictate lives other than their own. Each person should be free to
live their life as they please, abiding to their own moral code. Many people
find great discomfort in this, because this belief justifies actions of
terrorists, Adolf Hitler, among others. However, they prove that there is no
universal ‘truth’. They truly believe that what they are doing or did was what
was best for themselves, their country, and others. While I do not condone
their actions and I personally believe they are wrong, that does not make me
right over them. I believe that every person has the right to live their life
as they wish, as long as the way they live does not cause harm to others.
However, who am I to tell anyone how to live? This line of thinking stamps out
the idea of a universal ‘truth’. If every single person does not agree, then
the idea cannot be universal.
‘Truth’ might
just be what seems to be correct to the individual. The definition of ‘truth’
is that which appears to align with reality, but everyone has his or her own,
skewed perspective of reality. We can attain our own personal ‘truths’ through
experience and observation as well as critical thinking. It is possible for two
people to apply critical thinking to the same situation and produce two
different responses. Therefore, there are two ‘truths’, each one unique to the
person’s perspective and thoughts. One is not more right over the other,
instead, they are both correct for the person they belong to. Ones beliefs and
ideas should be individually formed through their own thinking and experiences.
Attainment of ‘truth’ is exclusive to the individual because the idea of
‘truth’ is exclusive to each individual.
‘Truth’ cannot be
said to exist, but it cannot be said to not exist either. We have no way of
knowing what does and does not exist, so we cannot claim either way. The idea
of ‘truth’ exists among each individual, and is shaped through his or her
experiences, emotions, perspectives, and beliefs. There is no ‘universal
truth’, because there are no ‘truths’ that are completely agreed upon by every
individual. One can attain their own ‘truths’ through critical thinking and the
exploration of different perspectives. ‘Truth’ is not absolute; it differs from
person to person.
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