Does absolute truth exist?

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Systematic
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Does absolute truth exist?

Post by Systematic »

It seems to me that proof of absolute truth is of major importance to epistemology. So, when I heard Robert Sapolsky lectures on youtube, I was surprised to find that, in scientific literature there is a constant. That constant is error. Sapolsky doesn't study physics nor chemistry, but rather, the causes of behavior in biology.
But, every scientific field, that he uses to discover the causes of behavior, seems to be fraught with exceptions to the rules that they observe.
I realize that there is a leap involved in concluding that all scientific theories will have exceptions, but I don't know it to be false.

That leaves us with the epistemological concept of a statement being usually true, yet acceptable anyway.
Impenitent
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Re: Does absolute truth exist?

Post by Impenitent »

usual truth may absolutely exist...

unusual truth may absolutely exist...

absolute existence could appear usual...

Tom Jones could truly sing about unusual love...

absolutely

-Imp
Dubious
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Re: Does absolute truth exist?

Post by Dubious »

Nope! and that's the absolute truth; it never was, is or will be... the one aspect of truth which remains unchangeable.
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Dontaskme
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Re: Does absolute truth exist?

Post by Dontaskme »

Does absolute truth exist?

Who want's to know?

Who's asking?

There's all y(our answers right there..Herenow Absolutely.
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HexHammer
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Re: Does absolute truth exist?

Post by HexHammer »

Systematic wrote: Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:28 am It seems to me that proof of absolute truth is of major importance to epistemology. So, when I heard Robert Sapolsky lectures on youtube, I was surprised to find that, in scientific literature there is a constant. That constant is error. Sapolsky doesn't study physics nor chemistry, but rather, the causes of behavior in biology.
But, every scientific field, that he uses to discover the causes of behavior, seems to be fraught with exceptions to the rules that they observe.
I realize that there is a leap involved in concluding that all scientific theories will have exceptions, but I don't know it to be false.

That leaves us with the epistemological concept of a statement being usually true, yet acceptable anyway.
Yes.
You asking a stupid self explanatory question = absolute truth!

You are completely clueless = absolute truth!

You have no idea about basic science = absolute truth!

You need others to think for you = absolute truth!

Go read up on science!!!!!!!!!!!
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Dontaskme
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Re: Does absolute truth exist?

Post by Dontaskme »

HexHammer wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 9:50 amYes.
You asking a stupid self explanatory question = absolute truth!

You are completely clueless = absolute truth!

You have no idea about basic science = absolute truth!

You need others to think for you = absolute truth!

Go read up on science!!!!!!!!!!!
Go read up on science!!!!!!!!!!! .................is a stupid answer.
Skepdick
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Re: Does absolute truth exist?

Post by Skepdick »

Of course. We have rigged the system in such a way that the answer is always "yes".

* There is absolute truth is absolutely true.
* There is no absolute truth is absolutely true.

I lean towards the latter.
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HexHammer
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Re: Does absolute truth exist?

Post by HexHammer »

Dontaskme wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 10:23 amGo read up on science!!!!!!!!!!! .................is a stupid answer.
Dear Retard, it's the RIGHT answer to his question, you clearly lack basic cognitive abilities, has low IQ and in general are just completely clueless.

Let's talk again when you have least an IQ of 115. Thanks!
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Dontaskme
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Re: Does absolute truth exist?

Post by Dontaskme »

HexHammer wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 12:26 pm Dear Retard,
It takes one to know one. So thanks for the label...I wouldn't have known what the heck I am without you...now I know, I'm in the land of knowledge. I'm the knowlegable one now because the label informs me.
HexHammer wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 12:26 pmit's the RIGHT answer to his question
It's not his question. He only thinks it is... if it was his question then the answer to that question would also be his. I mean how would he be able to ask a question if he didn't already have the answer... the question was his?....he's created the question, so he must be the creator of the answer to his question, else why bother creating a question without an answer? What's the point in that?


It doesn't take a genius to work out that if you think a question is yours then so too will the answer to the question your asking be yours. If he thinks someone else has got the answer...then he would have to wonder where on gods green earth did the other get the answer from that he didn't have?

Moral of the story...you have no knowledge of your own...labels are your only source of knowledge. Therefore knowledge informs the illusory nature of reality, in that there is no known other kower, the only knower is you...did you forget?



...you clearly lack basic cognitive abilities, have a low IQ and in general are just completely clueless.


.
commonsense
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Re: Does absolute truth exist?

Post by commonsense »

Systematic wrote: Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:28 am
That leaves us with the epistemological concept of a statement being usually true, yet acceptable anyway.
Yes, a statement can be usually true. Even the seemingly most absolute statement, in the extreme, could be false.

For example, everyone will die eventually. At least, thus far everyone has been doing so. Just because no one has achieved immortality yet, that we know of, doesn’t mean that no one ever will.

Ridiculous? Still, perhaps possible in the extreme.

But science tells us that this is not possible. Based on experimentation and observations, science can tell us that there is no feasible experiment nor observation, thus far, that proves the impossibility of immortality.

One more experimental observation might differ from the googleplex of results thus far. It just cannot be proved otherwise, based on the notion that there is always one more experiment, one more observation, that can be made.

Yes, immortality has never happened thus far, so far as we know. But we just cannot prove that it will not occur.

I, for one, would enjoy the comfort of knowing that the absolute exists. However, for reasons above, I can only believe in the nearly absolute, or the not quite completely absolute. That is relativism.

But relativism has its flaws as well. For if anything can have a truth value of true or false, there would not be any difference between true and false. There would neither be truth nor falsehood.

There would be comfort in knowing that a thing could be true regardless of circumstances. Then there could be a non-situational truth such as stealing is wrong.

Stealing a knife from a lunatic might not be a wrong thing to do. That could mean that the truth value of a statement, such as stealing is wrong, is relative to circumstances.

Alas...
Systematic
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Re: Does absolute truth exist?

Post by Systematic »

HexHammer wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 9:50 am Yes.
You asking a stupid self explanatory question = absolute truth!

You are completely clueless = absolute truth!

You have no idea about basic science = absolute truth!

You need others to think for you = absolute truth!

Go read up on science!!!!!!!!!!!
Are you OK?
Systematic
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Re: Does absolute truth exist?

Post by Systematic »

HexHammer wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 12:26 pm
Dontaskme wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 10:23 amGo read up on science!!!!!!!!!!! .................is a stupid answer.
Dear Retard, it's the RIGHT answer to his question, you clearly lack basic cognitive abilities, has low IQ and in general are just completely clueless.

Let's talk again when you have least an IQ of 115. Thanks!
I think that you may have hit on a good point, HexHammer. We are all retards. There is a limit of human understanding. That could lead us in a few directions.

Namely, we are too retarded to understand absolute truth; or we are retarded when we assume that absolute truth exists; or we are too retarded to separate science from the infallibility of a perfect god.

I don't think that reading up on science will cure our retardation, but thank you for reminding us.
Peter Holmes
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Re: Does absolute truth exist?

Post by Peter Holmes »

Asking whether truth exists (never mind absolute truth) tends to lure us down the rabbit hole where metaphysicians furkle. We're dazzled into thinking it's a factual question with a yes/no answer. We produce conflicting 'theories' (explanations) of truth, and spend centuries arguing about them, getting nowhere - which is why philosophy trundles on - entertainingly, in my opinion.

Our initial mistake is in imagining an abstract noun such as 'truth' is the name of a thing of some kind that, if it exists, we can describe - but which may not exist at all. Nouns are the names of things, so abstract nouns must be the names of things, so those things do or don't exist, right?

The absence of evidence for the existence of abstract things, such as truth, may not mean they don't exist. But it does mean that to believe they do exist is irrational. The burden of proof is with those who claim they do - Platonists, for example.

So we're left with explaining the ways we use a word, such as 'truth', and its cognates. There's nothing else we can do, pending evidence to the contrary.
Skepdick
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Re: Does absolute truth exist?

Post by Skepdick »

Peter Holmes wrote: Tue Jun 18, 2019 1:03 pm The absence of evidence for the existence of abstract things, such as truth, may not mean they don't exist. But it does mean that to believe they do exist is irrational. The burden of proof is with those who claim they do - Platonists, for example.
This is a very interesting and rather absurd claim. Would you say that the universe exists? Alternatively - would you reject the universe's existence?

Well that really depends on the way you use the word 'universe'. Are you using it as a proper noun, or as a collective noun?
Would you say that 'the universe' is a thing, or a collection of things?

Have you even considered that distinction? You probably haven't - you simply talk about the universe, not even remotely bothered by the fact that if you subscribe to Zermelo–Fraenkel set theory theory then you must necessarily reject the existence of the universal set least you contradict yourself.

Zermelo–Fraenkel set theory and related set theories, which are based on the idea of the cumulative hierarchy, do not allow for the existence of a universal set. It is directly contradicted by the axiom of regularity [1]

If you insist on consistency (as any good philosopher should), and if you reject Platonism (e.g the universal set doesn't exist) then you ought to reject the existence of the universal collective noun - right here and right now. Only - that would be absurd, wouldn't it? To demand that anybody 'proves' the universe's existence to you is just as absurd.

Language is for communication, not 'truth'. Caveat emptor.

References:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal ... nexistence
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HexHammer
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Re: Does absolute truth exist?

Post by HexHammer »

Systematic wrote: Tue Jun 18, 2019 7:18 am I think that you may have hit on a good point, HexHammer. We are all retards. There is a limit of human understanding. That could lead us in a few directions.

Namely, we are too retarded to understand absolute truth; or we are retarded when we assume that absolute truth exists; or we are too retarded to separate science from the infallibility of a perfect god.

I don't think that reading up on science will cure our retardation, but thank you for reminding us.
If you were smart, you would be millionaire, which you are not ..........kkthnxbye!
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