The Nature of Truth - Epistemology | WIRELESS PHILOSOPHY

Summary

In this philosophical discourse, Josh Rasmussen explores the concept of truth as a treasure pursued by various fields. He delves into the correspondence theory, which posits that truth matches reality, and challenges it with the subjective nature of perception. Rasmussen then contrasts this with perspective-dependent theories like coherentism and pragmatism, which link truth to rationality or usefulness within one's viewpoint. He also discusses theories that demystify truth, such as deflationism and nihilism, questioning the value of truth if it doesn't enhance our understanding or beliefs. Finally, he proposes a scientific approach to investigate the nature of truth, suggesting that the simplest theory explaining clear truths is likely the most accurate.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Josh Rasmussen introduces the topic of truth as a philosophical concept and its value in various aspects of life.
• 📚 The script discusses the correspondence theory of truth, which posits that truth is about matching or accurately describing reality.
• 🧠 It presents a challenge to the correspondence theory: the difficulty of objective truth when our experiences are subjective and perspective-based.
• 🤔 The script explores alternative theories such as coherentism and pragmatism, which define truth based on internal coherence or usefulness.
• 🐱 An example is given where the truth of 'a cat is on the mat' is evaluated differently under various theories of truth.
• 🤷‍♂️ Philosophers question how internal beliefs can correspond to external reality, hinting at a deeper mystery in the nature of truth.
• 🌐 The script touches on the issue of truth beyond current perspectives, such as the number of cats in the world, which is true regardless of our awareness.
• 🗑️ Theories like deflationism and nihilism are introduced, which propose that the concept of truth may be unnecessary or non-existent.
• 🔑 The script suggests that theories which reduce the mystery of truth might also diminish its perceived value.
• 🔬 A scientific approach is recommended for investigating the nature of truth, starting with clear truths and seeking the simplest theory that accounts for all cases.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is the nature of truth and the different theories that attempt to explain what constitutes truth.

Why is truth considered a treasure in the script?

Truth is considered a treasure because it is something that everyone wants more of, and it is valuable in various fields such as science, education, business, and religion.

What is the correspondence theory of truth as mentioned in the script?

The correspondence theory of truth claims that for a statement to be true, it must correspond or accurately describe something real in the world.

What is the challenge to the correspondence theory presented in the script?

The challenge to the correspondence theory is the issue of perspective, specifically how can one's internal perception of truth correspond to an external reality that is independent of one's perspective.

What are the perspective-based theories of truth mentioned in the script?

The perspective-based theories of truth mentioned in the script include coherentism and pragmatism, which treat truth as dependent on elements of one's perspective, such as the coherence of beliefs or their usefulness.

What is the challenge to perspective-based theories of truth presented in the script?

The challenge to perspective-based theories is that some truths seem to exist beyond anyone's current perspective, such as the exact number of cats, which is not dependent on whether anyone is aware of that number.

What are the theories of truth that propose to remove the concept of truth?

The theories that propose to remove the concept of truth are deflationism and nihilism. Deflationism suggests that the term 'true' can be eliminated from sentences without loss of meaning, while nihilism denies the existence of any truths.

What is the advantage of the theories that remove the concept of truth?

The advantage of these theories is that they decrease the mystery of truth by suggesting that the term 'true' is not necessary for understanding statements or the world.

What is the potential disadvantage of the theories that remove the concept of truth?

The potential disadvantage is that by removing the concept of truth, these theories may also reduce the perceived value of truth, leaving unclear why we should seek truth if it doesn't help us align our beliefs with reality or improve our thinking.

What is the scientific method suggested for further investigating the nature of truth in the script?

The suggested scientific method involves starting with observations of clear truths, such as one's existence or mathematical truths, and then finding a theory of truth that best accounts for all these clear cases in the simplest way.

What is the final recommendation for the viewer in the script?

The final recommendation is to subscribe to the Wireless Philosophy YouTube channel for more insights on the nature of truth and related philosophical topics.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 The Pursuit of Truth

Josh Rasmussen, an associate professor of philosophy, introduces the concept of truth as a universally sought treasure. He explains that truth is pursued by various entities such as scientists, students, businesses, and universities, and even forms the basis of religious beliefs. The video aims to explore why truth is valuable and how to acquire it. Josh will discuss different theories of truth, their implications, and the challenges they face, starting with the Correspondence Theory, which posits that truth must match reality. The theory is intuitive but faces the challenge of aligning subjective experiences with objective reality. The summary also touches on alternative theories such as coherentism and pragmatism, which link truth to the coherence or usefulness of beliefs within one's perspective, and raises questions about the nature of truth beyond individual perspectives.

05:01

🚀 Exploring Alternative Truth Theories

This paragraph delves into alternative theories of truth that propose truth is not about correspondence with reality but is rather dependent on or even removed from one's perspective. Coherentism and pragmatism are highlighted as theories where truth is determined by the coherence of beliefs or their practical utility. The paragraph also introduces deflationism, which suggests that the term 'true' can be eliminated from sentences without loss of meaning, and nihilism, which denies the existence of truth altogether. These theories reduce the mystery of truth but may also diminish its perceived value. The summary concludes with a suggestion for a scientific approach to further investigate the nature of truth, emphasizing the importance of starting with clear truths and finding a theory that best accounts for them in the simplest way possible.

Keywords

💡Truth

Truth is the main theme of the video and is defined as a concept that aligns with reality. It is portrayed as a treasure that everyone seeks, whether it be scientists, students, or businesses. The video discusses various theories of truth, emphasizing its value and the challenges in understanding it. For instance, the correspondence theory of truth is introduced, which posits that a statement is true if it matches or accurately describes something real, as exemplified by the statement 'a cat is on my mat'.

💡Correspondence Theory

The Correspondence Theory is one of the major theories of truth discussed in the video. It suggests that truth is achieved when a statement corresponds or matches with reality. The video uses the example of placing a real cat on a mat to illustrate how the statement about the cat becomes true. This theory is foundational to scientific practices and is integral to the video's exploration of truth.

💡Perspective

Perspective is a key concept in the video, particularly in relation to how we perceive and understand truth. It is mentioned in the context of the challenge of the correspondence theory, where the video questions how one's subjective experience can correspond to an objective reality. The concept is also central to alternative theories of truth, such as coherentism and pragmatism, which consider truth in relation to one's beliefs and usefulness.

💡Coherentism

Coherentism is presented as an alternative theory of truth in the video. It posits that a belief is true if it is part of a coherent system of beliefs. This theory is contrasted with the correspondence theory, suggesting that truth is not about matching an external reality but rather fitting logically within one's own set of beliefs, as the video illustrates by saying a belief 'counts as true if it is coherent'.

💡Pragmatism

Pragmatism is another theory of truth mentioned in the video, which defines truth in terms of usefulness. According to this theory, a statement is considered true if it is practical or beneficial in one's actions or experiences. The video uses this concept to address the issue of truth being dependent on one's perspective and how it can be valuable in improving the quality of thinking.

💡Deflationism

Deflationism is introduced as a theory that seeks to 'remove' the concept of truth by translating sentences containing 'true' into sentences that do not, thus suggesting that the term 'true' does not add any substantial meaning. The video gives the example of translating 'it is true that the cat is on the mat' to simply 'the cat is on the mat', illustrating how deflationism demystifies the concept of truth.

💡Nihilism

Nihilism, as discussed in the video, is an extreme form of truth removal that posits there are no truths at all. It challenges the very existence of truth, suggesting that the concept is not only unnecessary but also impossible to define or understand. This theory is presented as a counterpoint to other theories that attempt to define or understand truth.

💡Value

The concept of value is explored in the video in relation to the pursuit of truth. It questions why truth is worth pursuing and suggests that theories of truth must not only demystify the concept but also maintain its value. The video discusses how different theories attribute value to truth, whether it be through aligning beliefs with reality or improving the quality of one's thinking.

💡Scientific Method

The scientific method is suggested as a way to further investigate the nature of truth in the video. It proposes starting with clear truths and then finding a theory that best accounts for these cases. The video emphasizes the importance of simplicity in a theory of truth, stating that the simplest theory that accounts for all clear cases has the best chance of being true.

💡Observations

Observations play a crucial role in the video's suggested scientific method for investigating truth. It encourages starting with clear, observable truths, such as one's existence or mathematical facts, as a foundation for understanding and evaluating theories of truth. The video uses observations as a practical starting point for the exploration of truth.

💡Wireless Philosophy

Wireless Philosophy is the channel that hosts the video, as mentioned in the closing remarks. It is a platform that likely discusses philosophical concepts in an accessible manner, as evidenced by the video's exploration of the nature of truth. The channel is presented as a resource for those interested in gaining a deeper understanding of philosophical ideas.

Highlights

Truth is described as a treasure that everyone seeks, including scientists, students, businesses, universities, and religions.

The video aims to explore why truth is worth pursuing and how to understand it better.

Different theories of truth are available, and the video will discuss some major ones and their challenges.

The Correspondence Theory is introduced, stating that truth must match or accurately describe something real.

An example is given where a statement about a cat on a mat becomes true if it corresponds to reality.

The challenge of the Correspondence Theory is how subjective experiences can correspond to an objective reality.

Perspective-based theories of truth, such as Coherentism and Pragmatism, are presented as alternatives.

Coherentism and Pragmatism suggest that truth depends on the coherence or usefulness within one's perspective.

A challenge for perspective-based theories is that some truths seem to exist beyond current perspectives.

The example of the number of cats illustrates a truth that does not depend on current awareness but on the actual count.

Theories that remove the concept of truth, such as Deflationism and Nihilism, are introduced.

Deflationism proposes that the term 'true' can be eliminated from sentences without loss of meaning.

Nihilism takes an extreme stance by claiming that there are no truths at all.

Theories that remove truth simplify the concept but may diminish the value of seeking truth.

A scientific method for investigating the nature of truth is suggested, starting with clear truths and finding a theory that best accounts for them.

The video concludes by advocating for the simplest theory that can account for all clear cases as the most likely to be true.

A call to action for viewers to subscribe to the Wireless Philosophy YouTube channel is made at the end of the video.

Transcripts

[Music]

hi my name is Josh Rasmussen I'm an

associate professor of philosophy at

Azusa Pacific University and today I

want to talk about the nature of truth

truth is a treasure everyone wants more

of scientists build career searching for

it

students spend fortunes collecting it

all businesses and all universities

devote massive resources to get it

entire religions arise around the

pursuit and defense of it even now you

are curious to gain more of it from this

video but why why prefer truth over

falsehood why is truth worth pursuing at

all by understanding more about truth

you can better understand why truth as a

treasure and how to get more of it there

are different theories of truth on the

market and to help you investigate which

of these theories may be true I will

discuss some of the major theories and

their challenges I'll begin with the

correspondence theory this theory claims

that for something to be true it must

correspond with that is match or

accurately describe something real for

example if I place a real cat on my mat

then the statement a cat is on my mat

becomes true this theory makes sense of

our scientific practices where we

observe aspects of the real world and

effort to gain more troops about the

world on this theory truth is a treasure

because the more truth you have the more

often your expectations match actual

reality pretty intuitive right here's a

challenge to consider when you see a cat

you experience it from a unique vantage

point after your brain processes

external stimuli in other words you

experience the cat from your perspective

but then how can you see the cat as it

truly is outside your perspective it's

not like you can get outside your head

to look at the cat this problem is

related to a more basic question about

the nature of correspondence

how can trude's inside your head

correspond to things outside your head

how does that work some philosophers

worry that by analyzing truth as

correspondence you exchange the mystery

of truth for a greater mystery let's

consider an alternative approach a

number of theories treat truth as

dependent on elements of one's

perspective these theories include for

example versions of coherent ISM and

pragmatism to illustrate your belief

that the cat is on the mat will count as

true if it is coherent if you are a

coherent issed or useful if you are a

pragmatist on these theories truth is a

treasure because the more truth you have

the more desirable your thinking is it

is either more rational or more useful

these theories also solve the

correspondence theories problem of

getting outside your perspective since

all your truth is ultimately based on

features accessed within your

perspective such as your aims or the

coherence of your beliefs an important

challenge however is that some truths

seem to lie beyond every one's current

perspective for example either it is now

true that there is an even number of

cats or it is now true that there is an

odd number but presumably no current

perspective includes awareness of the

precise number of cats

no one has counted the cats hence the

truth of the number of cats does not

depend on any current perspective rather

it depends on the number of cats whether

or not anyone knows that number we've

just learned that some theories of truth

claim that for something to be true it

must correspond with something real

while other theories claim that truth is

dependent on elements within one's

perspective another strategy is to

remove truth here are two theories to

illustrate removal first deflation ISM

says that you can translate all

sentences that use the term true in two

sentences that do not for example the

sentence it is true that the cat is on

the mat just means that the cat is on

the mat here the term true is removed a

more extreme idea is nihilism which says

that nothing is

according to nihilism translating

alleged truths is not necessary or even

possible because there are no truths

theories that remove truth all have a

certain advantage they decreased the

mystery of truth a potential

disadvantage however is that they

increase the mystery of why we treasure

truth why seek truth if it doesn't help

you align your beliefs with reality

/ the correspondence theory or improve

the quality of your thinking /

perspective based theories it may seem

that you cannot reduce the mystery of

truth without also reducing its value in

closing I will suggest a scientific

method for further investigating the

truth about truth start with

observations of clear truths like that

you exist that one plus one equals two

and so on then find a theory of truth

the best accounts for all these clear

cases the simplest theory of truth that

counts for all the cases has the best

chance of being true thanks for watching

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