Humans constantly seek truth, though this is often elusive. To this end, when we seek the truth about the world around us, we are seeking knowledge, and use the Ways of Knowing as the input by which we gain knowledge; we organize it into the Areas of Knowledge to provide a framework for this knowledge. But, it is pertinent to question how truth, what it is and how it is acquired, varies between Areas of Knowledge. How truth differs for a Knower between three Areas of Knowledge, mathematics, the arts, and ethics, is the subject that will be evaluated by this paper.
We can begin to define truth in each area by looking first at truth in mathematics. Mathematics is the application of numeration, and the studying of the properties, relationships, and operations of spatial numerical measurement. Mathematics, thus, approaches truth in a distinct way: it finds truth in the analysis of objective reality, using logic and deduction to find the general principles behind phenomena: the best example of this is a mathematical postulate which describes a phenomenon, and mathematical proofs which confirm it objectively and empirically.
We must then examine truth in art. Art is the application of skill to create unique works which promote the aesthetic tastes and ideas of the artist and stimulate a response in its observers. As art is unique in interpretation to every observer, truth in art is also distinct: it is found in the subjective emotional and critical response it evokes in its observation. For instance, everyone has a different view of a given work of art, as everyone’s emotional responses are distinctive and thus truth in art, the method of the artwork and its meaning, is unique to everyone.
We must now turn to the nature of truth...
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... seen and applied is different: the measurements are used in a logical context to determine, after deduction, objective properties through mathematics, and in an emotional context to determine, after induction, subjective feelings through art, and ethics uses a bit of the methods of each discipline to factor how this can be used to benefit human beings.
This, in the end, is the nature of truth in each Area of Knowledge, that each Area is only a filter for the knowledge gained from reality, and that truth as the best representation of knowledge gained from reality, is not different, but only found differently, whether in mathematics with its focus on objective logic, art and its focus on subjective emotion, or ethics and its synthesis to find the best possible solutions for people. This understanding in itself can help us come closer towards truly conveying truth.
Throughout this honors ignition seminar, I have come to distinguish between two very useful, and powerful words: subjective truth and objective fact. Subjective truth, as I understand, is truth. The only difference separating it from universal or general truth is “subjective.” Our understanding of truth can cause arguments when trying to distinguish what is universally true. My definition of subjective truth, not necessarily perceived as true to others, is that the truth of something that happened may not be what actually happened to you, but what you felt happened to you. Objective fact, however, are based on facts that cannot be denied. They are legitimate, universal facts that everyone takes as true, but each may have a different interpretation of it. The main differences between subjective truth and objective fact is that subjective truth expresses one's own experience when understand the objective fact. Subjective truth has no correct definition, but I define it as: Subjective truth deals with subjectivity. Something th...
Knowledge, its source and truthfulness have been under question for a long time. People have always wondered what exactly constitutes facts and if there are any defining laws that can be attributed to all knowledge or information available in the world. Many philosophers speculated on how information can be interpreted according to its falsity or truthfulness, but have not come to definite conclusions. Edmund Gettier has provided one of the key pieces in understanding and trying to figure out what knowledge really is.
For many years humans have pursued the meaning of truth, knowledge and understanding. For many this pursuit of understanding the meaning of truth doesn’t end until one finds a “truth” that is nourishing to them. Even if this is the case one may choose to look for an alternate truth that may be more satisfactory to them. This pursuit of truth does not always have to follow the same path as there may be different ideas for everyone on how truth is actually obtained and which is a better way to obtain the truth is. Two philosophers of their time, Plato and Charles Peirce had their own methodologies and ideas on how truth and knowledge could be obtained.
Our perception of moral judgments sometimes affects the ways in which knowledge is produced. In these two areas of knowledge, the natural sciences and the arts, the ways of knowing are different as is the nature of the knowledge produced. Likewise, ethical judgments may or may not limit knowledge in these areas but in different ways. Ethical judgments may lead to questioning the means by which some scientific knowledge is produced. Significant, meaningful works of art are produced only when the artist is able to transmit an emotion to the spectator, reader or listener effectively. This is why powerful emotional reactions to a work of art sometimes produce strong and often opposing ethical judgements which can limit the artist’s opportunities to produce knowledge.
The title asks one to what extent is truth different among mathematics, the arts and ethics; it does not question the existence of truth. I interpret truth as justified belief and categorize it into three approaches: personal, social and universal. Personal is what one perceives to be true, social is what a group perceives to be true, and universal is what the whole perceives to be true (Bernardin). In this essay, it will be shown that the approach towards finding the truth within mathematics, the arts and ethics vary, but upon further investigation, the final truth is intertwined.
In order to succeed one needs truth. Everyone is capable of making decisions, however, truth is a key accessory to making such decisions better. One must be aware that what one believes, imagines, and desires to be true, are all different (Blackburn, 2009). Defining truth is difficult for some claim truth is concrete and can be proved in a structural manner. Others simply avoid the definition saying it is too abstract to be narrowed down into a single statement the world can agree on. For example, students have different ways of learning, thus to each student, a particular learning style is the best way to learn, and that is the student’s truth. Many have tried to tackle the definition of truth and from it came about the Correspondence Theory,
In my view, art is the representation and transmission of thought. It is the representation of the thoughts or experiences of an artist, created to transmit and subsequently evoke the same thoughts or experiences vicariously in an audience, via the artist’s creation. I believe art is based on the fact that people, through their own perceptions, can experience the same thoughts or feelings as the artist. I...
How we approach the question of knowledge is pivotal. If the definition of knowledge is a necessary truth, then we should aim for a real definition for theoretical and practical knowledge. Methodology examines the purpose for the definition and how we arrived to it. The reader is now aware of the various ways to dissect what knowledge is. This entails the possibility of knowledge being a set of truths; from which it follows that one cannot possibly give a single definition. The definition given must therefore satisfy certain desiderata , while being strong enough to demonstrate clarity without losing the reader. If we base our definition on every counter-example that disproves our original definition then it becomes ad hoc. This is the case for our current defini...
The truth is a hard thing to wrap our minds around. We want to hear it but at the same time it can hurt us. In the end it is always better to find out the truth. A brilliant man named Al-Kindi stated “We should not be ashamed to acknowledge truth from whatever source it comes to us, even if it is brought to us by former generations and foreign peoples. For him who seeks the truth there is nothing of higher value than truth itself” (“Al-Kindi”). Al-Kindi is saying his quote that the truth has the ultimate power. An individual should embrace the truth from any place it is presented. Al-Kindi, an influential man in the Arabic culture was a philosopher and translator of works such as Aristotle, Napoleon, mathematics, and he wrote numerous philosophical works on astrology and music (Adamson, Peter “Al-Kindi”).
In conclusion, the generation of knowledge can depend on logical reasoning and theory rather than organization of facts, and does not necessarily need to be based on facts that can be perceived existing in reality. Or, what is believed as knowledge can be based on biased facts and therefore not necessarily systematically organized or true. Counter points to above arguments are mainly based on the ambiguity of defining knowledge and fact, but it is still too extreme to conclude that “knowledge is nothing more than the systematic organization of facts.”
Both the arts and the sciences have completely different methods to create knowledge, thus the effects ethical judgments have on the arts and the science are different. Ethics limits the production of knowledge in both the arts and natural sciences, however, in the arts ethical judgments do not limit the methods available in the production of knowledge, rather it limits the propagation of knowledge. On the other hand, ethical judgements do limit the methods available in the production of knowledge in the natural sciences, because ethical judgments are self regulated in the natural sciences by reason because of the role of ethics in the methods.
This essay will show that ethical considerations do limit the production of knowledge in both art and natural sciences and that such kind of limitations are present to a higher extent in the natural sciences.
Mathematics is based on a fixed system of rules about numbers, structure, space and change. Because of how mathematics is based on a fixed system of rules, as a result, the truth in mathematics is also fixed. Take this mathematical idea for example, “the radius of a circle will always be half of the diameter” (MathOpenRef para 3). This shows how a mathematical idea is fixed and cannot be changed, if this idea is changed, then the statement would be false. In other words, the truth in mathematics is based on many fixed principles that had been universally accepted. In another example, a random number that is raised to a power of zero will always equal to one. This is also another idea that is fixed, because it is based on a fixed system of rules. To conclude, because of how mathematics is based on a fixed system of rules, the truth in mathematics is also
If I was provided with the statement, “Define the term ‘balance’.” my immediate response would be that balance means when something is equal or uniform. If a psychology major was asked the same exact question, they might answer that “balance” is a state of mental/emotional stability. Under the circumstance that the psychology major and I were in the same room looking at an art piece such as “The Starry Night” by Van Gogh, we might both answer that balance is when unity or harmony can be seen in a subject. Our answers to open ended questions or vague statements vary depending on what circumstances we are provided with or the settings that we see the subject matter in. However, if our solutions to statements such as “define the term ‘balance’” vary depending on the context, does absolute truth exist (truth being the state or quality of being true; the “real” facts (Truth).
Philosophy is an ever-growing field of study due to the fact that people are constantly yearning to discover the underlying truth in all of life’s matters. Dating back all the way to before the life of Jesus Christ, a great Greek philosopher by the name of Plato, exemplified this nature. He earnestly sought to find the root of true knowledge by using the Divided Line. Plato laid a strong foundation for the future of philosophy and since his time other intelligent philosophers have arose. In the seventeenth century two of the most vital philosophers in all of history came on the scene, René Descartes and John Locke. In attempt to discover how one acquires true knowledge, these two philosophers developed extensive concepts and ideas that greatly