Does a "relative truth" really exist? Does what is true, in any circumstance, depend on our point of view?

Question

I don't mean to sound like Obi-wan Kenobi here. I've heard people talk as if "truth" may be two different things to two different people, depending on their perspective. I have always found "truth" (about anything) to be very specific and unrelative to my position. What do you all think?

Answer 1

Truth is only truth when it is NOT relative. "Relative truth" is a rhetorical play at justifying a response to something perceived. For example, let's say I come home and find a strange man having sex with my wife, and I kill him on the spot. My perception was that my wife is faithful, therefor this man is a rapist. As the trial goes on, it turns out my wife is not faithful, and has been having a sordid affair with a married man.

My "truth" justified my response, but it was based on perception, not fact or evidence. The facts and evidence bore out the absolute truth.

In order for absolute truth to be found, the person seeking to identify it cannot have any vested interest in the outcome. Once absolute truth is presented, it is our choice to receive or reject it based on the criteria we select. Whether we accept or reject, however, is a mute point, because the truth will continue to be the truth no matter what we choose to believe.

Answer 2

I think people over use the word truth. They think their reality is "true", yet something that was 'true' a hundred years ago, is no longer true today, so it was not 'true' it was only 'real'. Reality and truth are not the same. Reality changes with time, or some added or subtracted variable, but "truth' does not change, it is always true, Obi-wan.

(sorry had to throw that obi-wan in there)

Answer 3

So your conversing approximately minipulating our selfs to question are very own non secular ideals.. the two way you look at it on the top of the day not something will replace, Atheists and Christians will pass on believing what they have believed all alongside, so which you get them to think of a sprint and spend a half a 2nd on the different team, and takeing a glance at specific factor of perspectives doesnt replace whats already programed in someones ideas and ideas, i'm not a non secular nut nor am i in sum devious cult, all of us die on my own, to be put in a gap as trifeling as having to question are very own ideals is hypicritical who're we actually if we placed each and every thing we've faith in, interior the trash for some seconds to be sure yet another viewpoint, have been putting are self up for dissapointment, reason if we come across that we've been beliveing a crock of shyt are finished lives then what ?? ... We turn to a distinctive faith or cult that ought to be a crock of shyt besides ....

Answer 4

Truth can very much be relative, yes indeed-dee.
Example: Can a 200 foot rock face be scaled? To a rock climber, that 200 foot rock is no problem for him to scale. It will be nothing to him. For me, that height is in disagreement with my sensibilities--if it were 20 feet then no problem.
So we have two different attitudes of what truth is, in this case the rock is scalable by one person but not for the other.
This may be a lame example of relative truth. A better one is to look at all the different Christian denominations, all divided from one another because of interpretation of truth. Or what they consider it to be...truth is relevant, and also becomes the victim.

Answer 5

Back in the caveman days of 1970 my professor said "Everything is relative,there are no absolutes" to which I said "Then what you're saying is that there are absolutely no absolutes?"I didn't do to well in that class.
Science even tells us 'for every action there is a reaction' therefore you can't look at things relatively.I can say all law is relative to what I want to keep,I kill someone ,now I've caused a reaction to my action, and the absoloute is he is absolutely DEAD.Smoke that in your pipe and put that in(Apologys to Rita Moreno 1960 Grrrrrr)

Answer 6

Depends on the issue.. with belief truth is merely opinion, with mathematics there are truth in formula laws that are facts.

When opinion about belief is given, truth is relative to the individual because each individual no matter what classification of belief they give themselves will have a unique perspective on life.

When one talks about religious beliefs I do not take the existence of deities to be real. That is a truth relative to my belief. However, others see them as real and that is relative to what they believe truth to be.

Answer 7

You are right. If truth is relative then there is no absolute truth, and to say there is no absolute truth is like saying that "the absolute truth is that there is no absolute truth" . That is plainly a contradiction.

So there has to be absolute truth.

Relative truth is nonsense. Relativism has rendered the minds of this generation impotent.

Answer 8

I like some of the other answers especially about absolute and relative, but....

One could still wonder if the absolute truth is REALLY absolute. The apple you see is red, right? But what if I say it is really just how different frequencies of light are reflected/absorbed. (Of course I'm just expanding the detail, not completely disproving the object is 'red'). I find it amusing how often humans claim to 'know something is true'. Who says we really do?

Answer 9

I agree, the idea of multiple truths is unlikely. One plus one equals two even if someone wants to believe that it's three. There are relative points of view, though.

Answer 10

I believe that there are 2 "truths", relative and absolute> If i say "truth is relative" then that makes it an absolute statement, therefore self contradicting. BUT, if I say, "truth is absolute", then the statement supports itself and makes it true> For this reason, there are truths that pertain to us in our daily lifes, experiences,beliefs, etc. YET, there is also an absolute truth out there, that pertains equally to everybody, beyond our experience and knowledge> I believe that this ultimate truth is Jesus Christ> peace.