In philosophy, there are several basic concepts, among which it is worth highlighting in the first place the definition of the truth itself, objective, absolute, and also relative. Turning to dictionaries and reference books, one can single out the most capacious definition, which is the following concept: truth is a proven statement accepted as truth; compliance with reality. What are examples of relative truth?
What is truth
This is primarily a process that is characterized by the perception or awareness of an object or phenomenon in full. Some people tend to argue that absolute truth does not exist in principle - there is only a subjective assessment of the surrounding reality, objects, views, judgments, or phenomena. Nevertheless, it is one, but in its environment some key aspects can be distinguished:
- Relative.
- Objective.
- Absolute.
Of course, the development of any science implies the achievement of an absolute ideal, truth, but this is unlikely, since each new discovery provokes even more questions and disputes. So, for example, a statement like “gold is metal” is true only if gold really is a metal.
What is absolute truth?
To begin with, it is worth defining the concept of objective truth, which is expressed as follows - understanding and perception of knowledge, which does not depend on any particular person, group of people, civilization and society. What is the main difference between absolute truth and relative or objective?
Absolute is:
- An exhaustive, fully verified knowledge of a person, object, object or phenomenon that cannot be refuted in any way.
- Adequate and conscious reproduction by the subject of a certain object, the representation of the subject as it actually exists, regardless of the opinion of the person and his consciousness.
- The definition of the infinity of our knowledge, a kind of limit to which all of humanity strives.
Many argue that, as such, absolute truth does not exist. Proponents of this view are inclined to the fact that everything is relative, as such actual reality simply can not be. Nevertheless, some examples of absolute truth can be given: scientific laws or facts of the birth of people.
What is relative truth
Examples of relative truth eloquently directly characterize the definition of a concept. So, in ancient times, people believed that the atom is indivisible, in the 20th century, scientists were inclined to believe that the atom consists of electrons, and now they have known for sure that the atom consists of a huge number of tiny particles and their number is constantly growing. All this knowledge creates an eloquent idea of the relativity of the real.
Based on this, we can draw conclusions about what relative truth really is:
- This knowledge (definition), which fully corresponds to a certain level of development of mankind, but differs by not completely verified facts or evidence.
- The designation of the borderline or final moments of human knowledge of the world, the proximity of knowledge about the surrounding reality.
- An affirmation or knowledge that depends on certain conditions (time, historical events, place and other circumstances).
Examples of relative truth
Does absolute truth have a right to exist? To answer this question, it is worth considering a very simple example. So, the expression "planet Earth has the shape of a geoid" can be attributed to statements from the category of absolute truth. After all, our planet actually has this form. The question is different - is this expression knowledge? Can this statement give an ignorant person an idea of the shape of the planet? Most likely not. It is much more effective to represent the Earth in the form of a ball or an ellipsoid. Thus, examples of relative truth allow us to identify the main criteria and characteristics of the most important components of philosophical concepts.
Criteria
How to distinguish absolute or relative truth from error or fiction.
Meet the laws of logic? What is the determining factor? For these purposes, there are special concepts that allow you to determine the plausibility of a statement. So, the criterion of truth is that it allows you to verify the truth, distinguish it from error, to identify where the truth is and where is fiction. Criteria are internal and external. What requirements should they meet:
- Express yourself in a simple and concise manner.
- Comply with fundamental laws.
- Be applicable in practice.
- Comply with scientific laws.
The criterion of truth is, first and foremost, practice - human activity aimed at transforming the surrounding reality.
