The criteria of truth are approaches by which knowledge that coincides with its subject can be distinguished from error. Since ancient times, philosophers have sought to develop a theory of knowledge that will be distinguished by absolute truthfulness, will not cause contradictions, and will not lead to false conclusions in the process of analyzing the object under study. Even the ancient scientists Parmenides, Plato, Rene Descartes, and then the medieval theologian Augustine developed the doctrine of the innate nature of true judgments and concepts. Speaking of knowledge, they looked for signs to determine objectivity and accuracy in the analysis of the properties, qualities and essence of the subjects studied. Therefore, the criteria of truth are the measure with which you can verify the objective truth of knowledge.
Role of practice
Ancient scientists proposed to verify the veracity of research in practice, since a similar approach can be considered in isolation from subjective thinking and natural causes that are not related to the studied object. Criteria of truth, such as cognition through experience, have confirmed that a person actively and purposefully affects objective reality, while studying it. In the process of practice, an individual or group creates a culture or a “second nature” using such forms of cognition as a scientific experiment and material production, technical and social activity.
Own experience is for man a source of knowledge and its driving force, because thanks to this criterion it is possible not only to determine the problem, but also to discover new sides and properties of the studied subject or phenomenon. However, testing knowledge in practice is not a one-time act, but becomes a controversial and lengthy process. Therefore, to identify the truth, it is required to apply other criteria of truth, which will complement the veracity of the information obtained in the process of cognition.
External criteria
In addition to the practice, which was called “dialectical materialism” in the works of philosophers of the 19th century, scientists suggested using other approaches to identify the veracity of the knowledge gained. These are “external” criteria of truth, which include self-consistency and usefulness, but such concepts are interpreted ambiguously. Thus, the generally accepted opinion cannot be considered true, since it often develops under the influence of prejudice, and does not fully reflect objective reality. As a rule, at first only one person or a limited circle of people owns the truth, and only later does it become the property of the majority.
Self-consistency is also not a decisive criterion, since if other scientific discoveries are added to the generally accepted knowledge system that do not conflict with generally accepted attitudes, this does not confirm the validity of new judgments. However, this approach is also characterized by a rational kernel, since the world is considered as a single whole, and knowledge of a separate phenomenon or subject should be consistent with the existing scientific base. Therefore, in the end, one can discover the truth, reveal its systemic character and indicate internal consistency with respect to generally accepted knowledge.
Opinions of philosophers
In determining the truthfulness in the judgments and assessments of the analyzed object, different schools applied their approaches. Therefore, the criteria of truth in philosophy are multifaceted and contradict each other. For example, Descartes and Leibniz considered the initial knowledge obvious and argued that they can be known with the help of intellectual intuition. Kant used only a formal logical criterion, according to which cognition is required to be consistent with the universal laws of reason and reason.
