How does one determine the Truth of something? Are there phenomena in life that can never be known for sure?

Question

In a controversy, for instance in history or religion, where millions of people believe one way and millions believe another, and heaps of evidence and facts are provided on both sides, how does one determine within oneself what is true?

Are we always subject to our own subjective experiences? Or is there a way to ignore such subjectivism and determine a thing"s true nature?

Examples that i"m thinking of include" controversies in history (the whole "the victor writes history" sort of thing, and religious dogma and principles of faith (existence of God, original sin, nature of afterlife).

Any thoughts on this that try to answer these questions in a fruitful manner will be appreciated! Thanks.

Answer 1

It's almost impossible to prove that anything is absolutely true. There is always a context and a relativity to contemplate.

However, one can be more convinced of his convictions if he decides that he must believe in certain fundamental facts or axioms before he considers the truthfulness of an assertion.

Mathematics is a good example of the application of this thought process. Mathematicians struggled for centuries to prove or disprove theories and theorems which were proposed. They finally decided that the only way that the most complicated and obtuse questions could be solved or answered was if one accepted a few basic axioms or truths. Without the acceptance of these axioms, or fundamental truths, most higher level mathematics could not be enclosed in the mantra of provable theorems.

For example, one must accept the assertion that the number one exists and that one can add one to that number and derive a summation.

Without these simple axioms, mathematics would fall from the realm of scientific thought.

Another example is the idea that even though there are an infinite amount of integers and real numbers, there are more real numbers than integers. That concept had to be accepted as a fundamental truth in mathematics before other future theories could be contemplated.

Also, when one contemplates religion, one must first accept or reject the fundamental principles which guide religious thought. For example, one must contemplate whether he accepts the existence of God as a fundamental axiom or reject it as a falsehood. The exististence of God cannot be proved scientifically. However, one can accept or reject a fundamental thought that God does exist at some level, in some plane of existence or only in ones own consciousness.

After that axiom has been either accepted or rejected, one can then proceed to ponder the more esoteric components of religious thought.

Answer 2

Like Sartre said " The secret to finding true happiness is found in the knowing that you do not necessarily require it to be happy."

I think that truth is very relative and there is a fine line between Knowing something... and believing something.

Life is not stationary, everything vibrates, everything changes every second of every day on a molecular level. It is a question that has been a philosophers wet dream since the beginning of rational thought.

I for one... no matter how ignorant it may seem to those in the know. believe that truth is always and has always been and will always be just that... Relative.

Answer 3

Things became verifiable in one of two ways.

An overwhelming amount of evidence accumulates

Predictions are made based on the thing in question that turn out to come to pass.

History is strong on the first method but weaker on the second

Science is strong on both methods

Religion is weak on both methods

Answer 4

Believing something does NOT MAKE IT TRUE. I.e., people for years believed the earth was flat!