PowerPoint Presentation

EpistemologyTruthThe Truth?

TruthPhilosophers have debated the nature, origin and definition of truth for centuries.Can be considered both a metaphysical and epistemological issue.

Question: Do you feel there is such a thing as absolute truth?Seeking the truthFelipe Fernandez-Armesto identified 4 stages of seeking truth:Truth that you feelTruth you are toldTruth of reasonThe truth perceived by the sensesPlato vs. ProtagorasBelieved truth was fixed, permanent and independent of opinionDisputed Protagoras relativism embodied in the statement Man is the measure of all thingsProtagoras posited that one persons opinion was equal in value to that of another. Virtues and values are merely human constructs and therefore not objective, natural or absolute.

Eg. Butcher vs surgeon to conduct heart surgery5Cartesian doubt, skepticism and relativismI think therefore I am makes it difficult to pursue truth and knowledge outside of ones own mind.Some content this may have contributed to the relativism and skepticism of 20th century.[They] found it hard to produce arguments for the existence of anything except themselvesFollow the evidence

Roderick M. Chisolm argued that one attains knowledge when opinion is met with adequate evidenceIssues with what constitutes adequate evidence who decides and what criteria are used to make that decision?PerceptionPerception psychological process of awareness that occurs when senses are stimulatedPlato saw perception as rooted in the senses and therefore flawed. Knowledge is independent and objectiveCommon sense realismAlso known as nave realism people perceive objects, experiences as they really are.Cannot account for hallucinations, dreams and optical illusionsCannot explain natural phenomena that cannot be perceived by our senses (infrared)

Representative theory of perceptionJohn LockePeople perceived external objects as sensations which prompts the mind to create ideasThese exist as representations in the mindCritics say representations are unreliable sources of truth10Subjective IdealismGeorge BerkeleyNo one can know anything for sure can never be sure that anything exists outside of ones own mindAn extreme version of subjective idealism is solipsism (nothing exists unless you think it to be so)PhenomenalismImmanuel KantPhenomena- how things appear to the sensesNoumena things that are thought or known by pure reasonMinds have innate conceptual schemes that exist a priori sense experiences (e.g. time, space causation)Allows our minds to organize and analyze sensory information Attempted to reconcile old arguments of empiricism and rationalismKnowledge and truth can never really be known as it is filtered through our conceptual schemesObjective truth cannot be known by humans at best can only attain partial truths due to human limitations of perception12Theories of Truth

Correspondence Theory of TruthAgreement between thought and realitySupported by Bertrand Russell who felt that both truth and falsehood are properties of beliefsObjective truth exists and is verifiable by facts/evidenceCoherence Theory of TruthG.W.F. HegelEmphasizes consistency of ideas in relation to one anotherAllows for degrees of truth that can be re-evaluated or rejected in light of new evidence or shifting beliefs

Pragmatic Theory of Truthtrue and false depend on the usefulness of the beliefs, propositions or statements.If the truth works dont fix itModern pragmatists not concerned with objective truth. Should only be concerned with beliefs that benefits ones self-interestCritics say pragmatism ignores serious ethical issues (i.e. slavery, genocide)Can relativism be a satisfying answer in the quest for truth?