3. Philosophers often grapple with the
concept of truth. Truth lies at the heart of
any inquiry. Knowledge must be truthful to
gain validity and acceptance. However, the
concept of truth remains a highly debated
and much-discussed topic among
philosophers. Philosophers consider truth
as a kind of quality or value.
4. For example, when we answer a "True or
False" test, we judge if the statements we read
are true or false. This means that statements
may have truth or may not have truth.
Statements about the world or reality are called
propositions and these propositions may or
may not carry truth. Propositions are usually
stated as short statements or sentences.
5. What is truth and why is it important?
Before we discuss truth, it is important to clarify
knowledge, since it is through knowing that we
are able to determine what is true.
Knowledge is the clear awareness and
understanding of something. It is the product of
questions that allow for clear answers provided by
facts. Our knowledge is comprised of ideas and beliefs
that we know to be true.
6. Let's explore your knowledge by
completing the following statements:
• I know that...
• I know why..
• I know how..
7. These statements correspond
to one important aspect of
knowledge - that it is based on
reality. This simply means that
what we know is what is
observable or evident in the real
world. For example, we say that
"I know that fish live in water"
because fish do live in water.
8. Propositions or statements which are observed
to be real or truthful are considered facts.
There are statements, however, that are not
evidently or immediately known to be true. For
example, we can say that "I know that my school is
the best school in the city." This statement,
however, cannot be taken as true since it is simply
not immediately evident. This statement is a claim,
and further examination is required to establish
whether it is true or false.
9. You may know why reading is a better
activity than playing basketball, but the truth
of your statement will be contested by other
people.
Truthful statements, therefore, can be
considered as based on facts. Science
considers truth as something observable and
empirical.
10. This means that any claim can be proven
by verification and experimentation.
Philosophy has various views which can help
us tackle the concepts of knowing the truth,
and arrive at a reasonable assessment if a
statement, idea, or event is believable.
11. There are several views
regarding truth. Philosophers
emphasize the importance of
belief as a basis for determining
truth. But what kind of belief is
truthful? How do we know that
what we believe is true?
How do
we know if
something
is true?
Editor's Notes
To acquire knowledge, one must study. But to acquire wisdom, one must observe.
