What is Truth

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What is Truth?

• Major Theories of Truth
• From Geisler and Feinbergs
• Introduction to Philosophy A Christian
  Perspective

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1.The Coherence Theory of Truth

• Spinoza, Leibniz, Hegel, and F.H. Bradley.
•  A statement is true if and only if it coheres
  (is consistent) with all of the other statements
  of that system.

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1.The Coherence Theory of Truth

• Rationaliststhe system is a comprehensive
  account of the entire universe (or of reality)
• Logical positiviststhe system includes all of
  the statements in the scientific picture of the
  world (as described by the contemporary sciences).

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1.The Coherence Theory of Truth

• This has some meritwe do tend to reject a
  statement that contradicts what we have already
  embraced as truth (or contradicts our
  experiences/observations).

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1.The Coherence Theory of Truth

• Coherence is a necessary condition of truth, but
  not a sufficient condition.
• A statement may be coherent with one system and
  incoherent with another.
• A statement may be coherent with a system but not
  applicable to the real world.
• Two differentmutually exclusive, but
  coherentsystems are logically possible.

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2.The Pragmatic Theory of Truth

• Charles Sanders Pierce, William James, and John
  Dewey.
• Piercetruth is related to (observable)
  practice(s)
• Opinion that is fated to be ultimately agreed
  to
• Truth is related to practical consequences

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2.The Pragmatic Theory of Truth

• Jamesconcerned with the effects of a belief in
  the private and personal life of an individual
• Soan individual could regard religious beliefs
  as true if they provide vital benefits
• Truth is determined by consequences

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2.The Pragmatic Theory of Truth

• Dewey Warranted assertibility
• An idea becomes true when their draft upon
  experience is verified by the promised facts.
• Thus, truth follows inquiryand happens to an
  idea when it is verified (warranted)

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3.The Performative Theory of Truth

• P.F. Strawson
• True and false are not descriptive words, but
  performative expressionsone is not making a
  statement, but performing an action. 
• When you say, It is true that, you are
  agreeing with, accepting, or endorsing a
  statement.

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3.The Performative Theory of Truth

• Later Strawson admitted that true has an
  expressive meaning as well as a performative
  meaning.
•  Strawson modified his position after hearing
  criticisms of it.

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4.The Correspondence Theory of Truth

• Aristotle, G.E. Moore, and Alfred Tarski.
• Truth consists in some form of correspondence
  between 1. a belief or a sentence and 2.
  a fact or a state of affairs.

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4.The Correspondence Theory of Truth

• Moorea proposition is identified with the
  meaning of an indicative sentence.
• Something is apprehended (in understanding a
  sentence) by us that is more than the mere
  sentence. The proposition is the bearer of truth
  or falsity.

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4.The Correspondence Theory of Truth

• When a belief is true, that which is believed is
  a fact.
• When a belief is false, that which is believed is
  not a fact.

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4.The Correspondence Theory of Truth

• Tarskitruth is a property of sentences in a
  particular languageand involves a relationship
  (correspondence) between a sentence and reality.

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Verification Principle

• A J Ayer (1910-1970)
• For a statement to be meaningful (true) it must
  be either 1) purely definitional or else 2)
  verifiable by onor of more of the five senses.
  All other statements (ethical, theological,
  metaphysical) are nonsense or meaningless.
• Logical Positivism
• Self-refuting

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Falsification Principle

• Anthony Flew and Karl Popper
• Any statement or proposition is meaningless
  unless it is subject to falsification (at least
  in principle)
• Flew used it to challenge a belief in God
• Self-refuting
• But Flew recently changed his mind