Friday, November 12, 2010

TRUTH AND JUDGEMENT by Bibin Xavier Thymoottil (B09042)

TRUTH AND JUDGEMENT

 

Epistemology in general is the study of knowledge: what is knowledge, what do we know and how do we know it. Epistemology involves questions about the nature and definition of truth. Knowledge is normally defined in terms of truth - only true things can be known, so no false ideas qualify as knowledge. Therefore, any discussion about knowledge must implicitly also be a discussion about the nature of truth. The simplest and most obvious definition of truth is, without a doubt, that which accords with reality. Here, we can say that truth matters because reality matters. But not everyone agrees that truth is best defined and understood simply as correspondence with reality. It must be acknowledged that many definitions of truth are derived from a person's philosophical system. The true is the real in mind. Since, the real is complete; it can exist as the true in mind, only in the complete act of mind, which is in Judgment. Or in other words Intellectual truth is formal truth. This is found only in the act of Judgment. In simple words the truth can be explained as the conformity between the intellect and the objective of reality. Whether someone's belief is true is not a prerequisite for its belief. On the other hand, if something is actually known, then it categorically cannot be false. For example, a person attempts to cross a particular bridge, believing that the bridge is capable of having his weight. Unfortunately, the bridge collapses due to his weight. Even though he believed that the bridge was safe, that this belief was mistaken. It would not be accurate to say that he knew   that the bridge was safe, because plainly it was not. By contrast, if the bridge actually supported his weight then he might be justified in subsequently holding that he knew the bridge had been safe enough for his passage, at least at that particular time. Various theories and views of truth continue to be debated among scholars and philosophers. Some of the main theories are the following.

A. Substantive theories: There are five theories included in this category.

(a).Correspondence theory,(b).Coherence theory,(c).Constructivist theory, (d).Consensus theory and (e).Pragmatic theory

B. Minimalist (deflationary) theories: There are four theories included in this category.

(a). Performative theory of truth,(b). Redundancy and related theories, (c). Pluralist theories and (d). Most believed theories

C. Formal theories: There are four theories included in this.

(a). Truth in logic,(b). Truth in mathematics, (c). Semantic theory of truth, and (d). Kripke's theory of truth

Judgment is the evaluation of evidence in the making of a decision. According to Kant, judgments are complex conscious cognitions that (a). refer to objects either directly  or indirectly(b) include concepts that are predicated either of those objects or of other constituent concepts, (c) exemplify pure logical concepts and enter into inferences according to pure logical laws, (d) essentially involve both the following of rules and the application of rules to the objects picked out by intuitions, (e) express true or false propositions, (f) mediate the formation of beliefs and other intentional acts, and (g) are unified and self-conscious.

Source: www.ask.com

 

 

 

 

 

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