Is Truth Absolute or Is It Mediated and Tempered by The FACT of Living?

Answer 1

If you make the statement that "everything is relative" it has to be absolutely true OR otherwise everything is not relative!!Thus it is a self defeating argument.This idea of the nonexistence of absolute truth is one of the greatest delusions of our time.

Both science and Philosophy levitates towards the absolute and not the opposite.It is an interesting fact that no matter what a persons world view may be he or she will always create a framework of "absolutes" around him or herself within which to function.Even if that absolute truth is "everything is relative"

I truly believe that once we humans realize again that we cannot deny the existence of absolute truth both on a scientific and philosophical level we will approach life far more effectively.

That said you can always weigh up truths against each other and try to figure out how they relate to each other.This is where the facts of life hit us against the head because it is not always easy to make the right choices.However a framework where absolute truth does exist as opposed to one where it does not will in my opinion always be the more workable/effective option.

Answer 2

I say truth is not an absolute. It's more like the a direction.

If you being attacked by a barbarian and you have a crossbow and an arrow. Truth would be like aiming your crossbow in the direction of the on-coming barbarian. There is no truth in aiming at the anywhere else. Unless....by aiming somewhere else, you could avoid the barbarians attack or by sacrificing your life you could somehow save the lives of others which you agree provides a great value than saving your own life. So truth then is a value statement. What one values, what one chooses, dictate the actions one takes that gets a step or giant leap closer to realization of that choice. The action and the reasoning toward those actions are TRUE relative to other actions and reasons which do not produce movement toward the stated value.

Truth is not tempered by the fact of living. The big problem is that people, humans have trouble sticking to what they say they value. And will use reasons for actions that do not get them closer to their values. And they will call those actions the truth. For instance, we all love to be healthy. But some people smoke cigarettes, even though cigarettes have a negative effect on health. The answers I get most from smokers are:
1) We're all going to die anyway
2) I want my freedom
3) I smoke because I enjoy it.
None of those can be true for people who really value health.

Answer 3

Truth all comes down to the reasoning of your mind.

Answer 4

I am not a huge philosophy person in general, but I do remember one thing I "learned" (for myself) in philosophy in college...that everything is relative, which means technically nothing is absolute. Just my opinion

Answer 5

Truth ,tangable, proven, factual, illustrative...
Truth is substantive.
I'm not sure that life can temper truth ,only our interpretation of it.