The Domains of Truth

1. Distinguish the different ways of

understanding truth.
2. Explain the criteria to establish
the truth in an argument.
SITUATION… Read
Guided questions
1. What do you think truly
happened here?
2. Who do you think among you is
more correct?
3. What makes you think so?
What is truth?
• What do we mean when we say
that something is true?
• Many of us assume that truth is
a simple term with a singular
meaning.
• Life in this world would be a lot
simpler if truth only meant on
thing.
• Truth is just as rich.
• Unfortunately, very
few of us really
understand and
appreciate its
richness.
• If we examine the perspective on
truth that has been dominant in
society we would fine that people
mostly equate truth with scientific
truth.
• We often say that something is true
because it is based on facts.
(Something factual when it is
scientifically proven)
 Statement:
• A study from Jayward Pitkin
University shows that 95% of men
and women who are taller than the
average height are more likely to
become successful and happy in
their careers
• Truth in this sense related to
science.
• When science wants to explain the
principles or conceptual
connections behind them, they
resort to objects in the physical
world for their demonstration.
• When we say that something is
true, we usually mean what the
scientists mean– that is verified in
the natural world.
• Truth understood this way is
what philophers call objective
truths.
• Both examples point to
observable phenomena that
remain constant and true.
• Many ways of understanding truth.
Unfortunately, not everyone is
clearly aware of this.
• Let us take the case of people who
condemn others for having a religion
and for believing in God.
• These people argue that believers
base their lives on unverified truths.
• Believers are judged to be irrational
because they cannot demonstrate the
truth of their faith. If we trace the line of
reasoning, it will go as follows.
• Believes are irrational because they
believe in things that cannot be verified.
• What this statement implies:
Only those who believe in things that can
be verified are rational.
• In other words, based on what on has
been said above so far,
Only those who believe in scientific
truths are rational.
If we agree with this line of reasoning,
then we also should agree that almost
everyone of us is irrational, because
many parts of our lives rest on things
that we consider as true even if they
are not scientifically proven.
• Example, as we grow into the world, believe
that some people love us even if there is no
scientific basis for the truth of love.
• We believe that laws are written for
common good, even if there no scientific
way of defining what is good from what is
evil.
• We live for reasons we hold true in our
heart, love for family, the good of service fo
others, or for the fulfillment of
responsibility.
Does mean that we are
irrational?
Philosophy has been aware
that the truth about truth
remains to be a question for
thousand of years now.
 Domain Truth
1. Objective domain- Scientific truth
Pertains to the natural world that
maintains a relative independence from
the perspective and attitude of human
beings that perceive them.
Typhoon season, which belongs to the
natural realm, comes and goes whether
or not we want it.
2. Social domain –general agreement or
consensus on what is right as opposed to
what is wrong.
Truth are mostly product of social
agreement
in society that has been established over
time. Because of time-honored presence, the
become so embedded in our society such that
they hardly questioned by anyone.
Truth are created and constructed by
people.
3. Personal domain- where truth is analogous
with sincerity.
This is a precarious domain of truth
because no one can have access to our
minds and our thoughts except our selves.
Need corresponding actions that will
establish trust.
A person who proves to be consistent with
what he declares about himself is regarded
as authentic and can therefore be trusted
or trustworthy.
Truth and justification
Truth – understood as what has passed
“ procedures of justification,”(Rorty,
1989).
Justification- the process of proving the
truth or validity of a statement.
This process is made up of ways of
critically testing a claim against certain
criteria.
Scientific/objective domain- truths are
tested against empirical evidence.
Social domain- truths are tested
against their acceptability to a
particular group in a particular time in
history.
Social Norms turned to social truths are
basis for the balance in our society.
Personal domain- truth are tested against
the consistency and authenticity of the
person who claims it.
The justification of personal truths is
probably the longest to complete among
the three.
Because personal truths take a whole
lifetime of consistency in the actions and
decisions of a person who makes claim
about himself.
Activity
• To which domain of truth does
each of the following statements
fall?
a. “in sickness and in health, til
death do us part.”
b. Reptiles are cold blooded.
c. “Don’t talk when your mouth is
full!”