What is truth? Examples of relative truth

In philosophy, there are several basic concepts, among which it is necessary to distinguish first of all directly the truth itself , objective, absolute, and relative. Turning to dictionaries and reference books, one can single out the most capacious definition, which is the following concept: truth is a proven statement accepted as truth; Conformity of reality. What are examples of relative truth?

What is truth

This is primarily a process that is characterized by the perception or awareness of the object or phenomenon in full. Some people tend to argue that absolute truth does not exist in principle - there is only a subjective assessment of the surrounding reality, objects, views, judgments or phenomena. Nevertheless, it is unified, but in its environment it is possible to identify some key aspects:

• Relative.
• Objective.
• Absolute.

Undoubtedly, the development of any science implies the achievement of an absolute ideal, truth, but this is unlikely, since every new discovery provokes even more questions and disputes. So, for example, a statement such as "gold is a metal" is true only if gold really is a metal.

What is the absolute truth

To begin with, it is necessary to define the concept of objective truth, which is expressed as follows: understanding and perception of knowledge, which does not depend on any particular person, group of people, civilization and society. What is the main difference between absolute truth and relative or objective truth?

The absolute is:

• An exhaustive, fully tested, knowledge of a person, object, object or phenomenon that can not be refuted in any way.
• Adequate and conscious reproduction by the subject of a certain object, the representation of the subject as it exists in reality, regardless of the opinion of the person and his consciousness.
• The definition of the infinity of our knowledge, a kind of limit, to which all mankind strives.

Many argue that as such there is no absolute truth. Supporters of this view are inclined to the fact that everything is relative, as such, actual reality can not simply be. Nevertheless, it is possible to give some examples of absolute truth: scientific laws or the facts of the birth of people.

What is the relative truth

Examples of relative truth eloquently characterize directly the very definition of the concept. So, in ancient times people believed that the atom is indivisible, in the 20 th century, scientists tended to the fact that the atom consists of electrons, and now they know for certain that the atom consists of a huge number of tiny particles and their number is constantly increasing. All this knowledge creates an eloquent idea of the relativity of the real.

Proceeding from this, one can draw conclusions about what actually constitutes a relative truth:

• This knowledge (definition), which fully corresponds to a certain level of development of mankind, but differs by not completely verified facts or evidence.
• The designation of the borderline or final moments of man's knowledge of the world, the approximations of knowledge about the surrounding reality.
• A statement or knowledge that depends on certain conditions (time, historical events, place and other circumstances).

Examples of relative truth

Does the absolute truth have a right to exist? To answer this question, we need to consider a very simple example. So, the expression "planet Earth has the form of a geoid" can be fully attributed to utterances from the category of absolute truth. After all, our planet actually has this form. The question is whether this expression is knowledge? Can this statement give an unknowing person an idea of the shape of the planet? Most likely not. It is much more efficient to imagine the Earth in the form of a ball or an ellipsoid. Thus, examples of relative truth allow us to identify the main criteria and characteristics of the most important components of philosophical concepts.

Criteria

How to distinguish absolute or relative truth from error or fiction.

Answer the laws of logic? What is the determining factor? For these purposes, there are special concepts that allow you to determine the plausibility of a statement. So, the criterion of truth is that it allows us to verify the truth, to distinguish it from error, to reveal where the truth is, and where the fiction. Criteria are internal and external. What are the requirements they must meet:

• Express in a simple and concise manner.
• Comply with the fundamental laws.
• Be applicable in practice.
• To comply with scientific laws.

The criterion of truth is, first of all, practice - human activity aimed at transforming the surrounding reality.

Modern concept and its key aspects

Absolute, relative, objective truth are concepts that have distinct differences from each other. In the modern definition of truth, scientists invest the following aspects: objective reality, spiritual and subjective reality, the result of cognition, as well as truth as a cognitive process.

Separate attention deserves the concreteness of truth - it can not be abstract. Truth always has to do with any time and place. Nevertheless, the desire for an ideal and the search for truth will always be of concern to philosophers and scientists. Mankind must strive for knowledge and perfection.