Relative and Absolute Truth?

Question

This is what I consider a solid definition of truth: a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like. (Dictionary.com)

How valid can relative/personal truths be when they contradict eachother? If I see crayon that is only one color in its entirety and say that it is black (not that I CALL it black, but that it IS black) and you see the very same crayon and say it is white (not that you CALL it white, but that it IS white) are both our truths correct? (and no, neither of us are color blind)

Please give your answers with your brief statement defining truth.

Answer 1

Quantium mechanic gave a lecture.

Enthusiastic student said, "so everything is relative!"

Mechanic replied: "Absolutely!"

Answer 2

But if “ultimate truth” is not to be found, why did Jesus insist that God must be worshiped “with spirit and truth”? Or why did he state that his followers would be guided “into all the truth”? (John 4:23, 24; 16:13) And why would the apostle Paul state that it is God’s will that individuals should “come to an accurate knowledge of truth”? (1 Timothy 2:3, 4) Or why did he speak of some doctrines as being a ‘deviation from the truth’? (2 Timothy 2:18; 4:3, 4) Certainly, as with the early Christian congregation, a group of worshipers having the truth can be expected to be present today.

TRUTH is fact that is real. Things are not true simple because a person feels or hope or believes that they are true. Their beliefs and hopes however were not in harmony with fact. Hence, people do not create TRUTH; they reach out to comprehend it.

The road that leads to Truth: If you were on the wrong road, would pride or stubbornness prevent you from admitting it?There cannot be two sets of truth when one does not agree with the other. One or the other is true, but not both. Sincerely believing something, and practicing that belief, will not make it right if it really is wrong. How should you feel if proof is given that what you believe is wrong?

To illustrate: Say you were in a car, traveling for the first time to a certain place. You have a road map, but you have not taken time to check it carefully. Someone has told you the road to take. You trust him, sincerely believing that the way he has directed you is correct. But suppose it is not. What if someone points out the error? What if he, by referring to your own map, shows that you are on the wrong road?

Would Pride or stubbornness prevent you from admitting that you are on the wrong road? Well, then, if you learn from an examination of the Bible that you are traveling a wrong religious road, would you be willing to change by avoiding the broad road to destruction, to get one the nation road to life?

Therefore, TRUTH that is examined means to make comparisons, calmly and objectively weighing the facts and the arguments presented, and then being willing to pay the cost; For the truth will cost something.

Answer 3

You did not define black and white. You also did not describe the actual color wavelength of the crayon. It is possible that the crayon is actually Peach( my personal favorite) and that the first two were mistaken. But seriously the crayon cannot be both black and white simultaneously. It also cannot be black and not black simultaneously. It can be black, ***** and schwarze. These are differnt words for the same thing. It has not been demonstrated that any natural thing can be two different things. That quality would be above the natural or supernatural. Opposing perception of a natural thing indicates one or more of the perceptions is incomplete or incorrect. One last statement. Nothing unreal exists. -t'Plana Hoth of Vulcan

Answer 4

This is what I consider a solid definition of truth: a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like. (Dictionary.com)
____

This definition is practical, but philosophically naive. It begs questions such as what constitutes verification, what degree of consensus is considered indesputable? There are several theories of truth. Just go digging around on the web about epistemology.

Your example is a good one to show the problem. Colors (and tones) are viewer dependent, which is to say they are only "real" when observed. Our human eyes stranslate lightwaves and reflected light different from other animals. Thus what is "red" to us is only true in that we all see it the same way, but "red" does not exist in most parts of the animal kingdom. Another way of thinking about it is that if our eyes were different or we all poked them out, red would not exist in any way whatsoever.

This is not relativism by physics.

Answer 5

There are true and untrue things, e.g. a statement can be a lie or a fact.

There are also "Truths" that we describe as fundamental, bigger than ourselves and on a different plane altogether. So that our individual understanding of them is only ever partial because of our limited nature. The best illustration of this is the story of the 6 blind men and the elephant. One felt its tail and said that an elephant was just like a rope. Another accused him of lying or madness, since an elephant (the trunk) was definitely more like a snake. The third got hold of a leg and insisted it was much more like a tree. And so on. They were all right in their way, but they all missed the mark. Probably the truest thing anyone can say about "Truth" is the saying that "we see through a glass darkly".

Answer 6

>>>Actually Buddy, 1+1 only ever =2 when you know (purity of knowledge, an infallibility of the individual) all of the influences on the equation.<<< You are trying to play games. Please have an honest discussion. If you have one apple and get another apple you have 2 apples. 1 + 1 = 2 (always) If you have one apple and get another apple and your friend takes one apple then you would have one apple. That would be represented by a different equation than the one I presented. 1+1 - 1 = 1 (always) ____ Truth is absolute. 1 + 1 = 2 always. God exists. The Bible is God's Word to us today. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Answer 7

No because EVERYTHING is relative. The color of the crayon only appears to be that color because YOUR eye's see that certain wavelength as orange...where as a person who is color blind would see a different color. But then you say that he's wrong and that the color is actaully orange. But what if everyone in the world was actaully color blind and some alien race said it was somthing totally different. See...so everything is relative...even truth. But logic is not. Logic is relative to the universe in which that certain logic exists.

Answer 8

Your example needs a little work.

Truth is a constant; it is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
However we can only perceive truth through filters such as time, place, environment, genetic disposition.

Hence our desire to find a source of truth without filters that sees all without filters. This is why I choose to pray to God in the name of Jesus Christ to reveal truth through the Holy Ghost.

This way I can take the truths taught to me by men and women with "filters" and ask God to reveal if it is true or not.

I cannot perceive all truth on my own but I do seek to know all truth.

Answer 9

Truth is that which conforms to right thinking about reality in life. Your question illustrates nicely the chaos and foolishness of all the myriad religions in the world claiming to be the one true religion. The only two ways out of this mess are:

1) Celebrity deathmatch
or
2) A nationally televised, 5 part debate on which "religion" is nearer to the truth of reality than all the rest.
(this second one is the one I'd love to engage in on international tv. I love to tear apart, shred, and incinerate an opponents argument!!).

Answer 10

I think there are relative truths that are opinions based a personal perspective...then there are absolute truths, like law of love, law of attraction, law of creation...etc.

Peace, Love, and Blessings
Greenwood