What is truth? It's a question that has intrigued philosophers, scientists, and thinkers throughout the ages. The nature of truth is a complex concept that has been examined from various angles over time.
One of the fundamental distinctions in understanding truth lies in differentiating between objective and subjective truth. Objective truth refers to facts and information that exist independently of individual perspectives or opinions. For example, "the Earth orbits the sun" is an objective truth, as it can be verified through evidence.
On the other hand, subjective truth is rooted in personal experiences and perceptions. It can vary from person to person and may not always align with objective reality. For example: "Chocolate ice cream is the best." This is a subjective truth as it depends on personal taste and preference.
Truth can also be classified as relative or absolute. Relative truth is context-dependent and can change based on circumstances or perspectives. For instance, the statement "It's hot today" may be true in the context of a scorching summer day but false during the winter.
Absolute truth, on the other hand, is considered unchanging and universal. Philosophers have debated whether such truths exist, but concepts like mathematical truths (2+2=4) are often considered absolute, as they hold true regardless of context.
There are three main theories of truth:
1) The Coherence Theory: a belief or statement is true if it is consistent with other beliefs
2) The Pragmatic Theory: a belief or statement is true if it produces a desirable effect
3) The Correspondence Theory: a belief or statement is true if it corresponds with reality
We all use the Correspondence Theory in our daily lives, but when it comes to morality or religion many suddenly change what they mean by 'truth'. If I say "Mcdonald's is better than Burger King", some people might agree, and others may not. That's because in this case truth is determined by the subject - me. Another statement: "Argentina won the last FIFA World Cup"; someone could have been rooting for France, but the fact is Argentina beat them in the penalty shootout which makes this statement objectively true because it actually happened. If I make the statement "Murder is wrong", everybody (I hope), with the exemption of sociopaths, would agree that this is objectively true. If, however, I make the statement "Abortion is wrong", people suddenly switch to a subjective view of truth. We discuss this topic in this blog post here.
Postmodernism, a philosophical movement that started in the 1970s, does not deny the existence of objective truth but rather denies that we can ever know it for sure, because we are all influenced by various cultural forces that affect our judgment. However, the problem lies when a postmodernist claims that there is no truth, it implies that the person actually believes that statement to be true and is therefore self-refuting. People with a postmodern view may claim that objective truth can't be determined but certainly don't apply that philosophy in everyday life. This notion that no universally objective truth exists is trying to affirm truth while denying it at the same time.
The concept of truth has changed over time, but the nature of truth cannot and does not change.
In biblical Christianity, truth is grounded in God's unchanging nature and character. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word often used for truth is emet which means firm, faithfully, or truth and involves the ideas of ‘support’ and ‘stability’. Apostle Paul in the New Testament often used, aletheia, the Greek word for truth. The term aletheia describes reality or something that exists. The Bible authors did not describe truth as a feeling or a personal opinion but described truth as something knowable. Truth comes from the disclosure of a God who makes himself known. In Paul's letter to the Romans, for instance, he writes about God, who has made his existence known through both creation and human conscience ("the truth is written in our hearts" Romans 2:15) so that all people are left ‘with no excuse’ before their Creator and Lawgiver (Romans 2:14-15). 'Those who suppressed this revealed truth' (Romans 1:18) and 'turned to idols instead of worshipping God' (1:21–25) have 'exchanged the truth of God for a lie’. When God reveals himself through creation, He does not command us to just have blind faith without intellectual knowledge. God's self-revelation left us with enough evidence and information to know who He is. Christianity is not just a religion or a perspective, but the truth that exists in the person of Jesus.