THEORIES OF TRUTH

• Correspondence Theory


  A statement is true if it corresponds or represents to a fact in the world
• Correspondence Theory


  • Empirical Truth
  • Synthetic Truth
• Coherence Theory


  A statement is true if it coheres with the rules of a relevant system (which is also true)
• Coherence Theory


  • Rational Truth
  • Analytic Truth
• Pragmatic Theory


  A statement is considered true if it brings beneficial consequences for believing it to be true
• Pragmatism- It is most effective in achieving a deep understanding of the world and one's place in it
• Pragmatic Theory Examples


  • Dreams
  • Fortune Telling
  • Beliefs
• Observation/Perception


  • Using our senses and/or our own thoughts
  • Present in the Correspondence Theory
  • External: Senses
  • Internal: Reflection
• Reasoning


  • Using our rationality
  • Logic
  • Present in coherence theory
  • Can lead to inferences (inductive or deductive)
• Intuitions


  • Ability to verify the truth without conscious reasoning
  • Ex: Love at first sight
• Appealing to Authority


  Asking for testimonies, advices, or verifying a claim to an appropriate expert
• Knowledge


  • Justified True Belief
  • By justified, what lead you to believe the statement? What are your evidences?
• Opinions


  • Unjustified Belief that may turn out to be true
  • Insufficient evidence to back up the statement/claim
• Guess


  Claiming that you know something without any justifications that it is true
• What do we do when the of a situation is unclear?

  • Analyze and evaluate all the available information
  • Develop our own well-reasoned beliefs
  • Recognize when we lack sufficient information to arrive at well-reasoned beliefs