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cacian
01-18-2012, 08:57 AM
How do you measure truth?
and
Is truth and Intelligence linked?

loe
01-18-2012, 09:50 AM
I am getting the impression that you have a soft spot for interesting philosophical questions. ;)

Without a definition of "truth" these questions cannot be answered sufficiently - even with a definition this may be difficult or impossible.
Is there something like an absolute truth which remains unrecognizable, then truth is a very relative matter.

For me it seems difficult to "measure" truth. From today's perspective I can say something is true, but tomorrow it can prove wrong - science can find new facts, I can realize that a person is a liar etc.
Is there really a possibility to say, something is more true or less true? Maybe somehow from a historical point of view (when observing the development of some scientific theories), but in the actual moment truth seems to be absolute (even when it's a relative matter). (I am afraid, this is getting confusing completely independent of my English skills).

For the truth itself intelligence doesn't matter, but for the recognition of truth, for the distinction between truth and lie it seems to be necessary.
Also a liar needs to be (at least a bit) intelligent, when he/she wants to lie convincingly.

So far just a few points from my side.
If I succeed in sorting my thoughts I will add a more structured post later.

cafolini
01-18-2012, 10:30 AM
How do you measure truth?
and
Is truth and Intelligence linked?

You get a ruler, Measure it, and start jumping "I got it, I got it, I got it!"

topgar
01-24-2012, 02:23 PM
Certainly, it is dificuly to speak of truth as something we can grasp thoroughly, if we start accepting that there is something out there, that determines what we are, what we feel, what we makes us talk about this, and what we can identify as truth, referring to that thing as reality, well it seems that we only have access to portions of that reality, perhaps impressions or perceptions, but not absolute apprehension of that thing.

cafolini
01-24-2012, 03:49 PM
Certainly, it is dificuly to speak of truth as something we can grasp thoroughly, if we start accepting that there is something out there, that determines what we are, what we feel, what we makes us talk about this, and what we can identify as truth, referring to that thing as reality, well it seems that we only have access to portions of that reality, perhaps impressions or perceptions, but not absolute apprehension of that thing.

Yes, the portions are truths that might be easily grasped by individuals who might or might not be able to communicate them, but "the truth" is always a lie.

Kyriakos
01-25-2012, 09:00 AM
My view is that one can be intelligent without having to hold opinions which are true, since intelligence is mostly the level of complexity your thoughts have, and not their actual ties to reality. Of course given enough time it can be supposed that an intelligent person will either form true views, or be destroyed from his endless and galloping mistakes.

cafolini
02-23-2012, 10:30 AM
How do you measure truth?
and
Is truth and Intelligence linked?

You can measure truths. each through experience. But truth in general cannot be measured. It's a museum piece in the system of confusions we call philosophy.
Intelligence is anywhere. It's intrinsic to life. It's linked to anything biological.

Patito de Hule
02-23-2012, 10:34 AM
Truth cannot be measured.

The quality of truth is not strain'd; it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven. (Paraphrased from someone well known.)

A proposition is either true or not true. This is a tautology since a proposition is a statement that is either true or untrue. A statement is a sentence or sequence of sentences that purports to be a proposition. A self-referential statement may be neither true nor false. e.g. "This statement is not a proposition."

Truth, in this sense, is a psycho-philosophical (or "psychosophical") concept. It describes way in which "intelligent" thought processes data. Intelligence is another psychosophical concept. Neither have any "meaning" standing on their own. This is the linkage between intelligence and truth.

BienvenuJDC
02-23-2012, 06:40 PM
Truth cannot be measured.

The quality of truth is not strain'd; it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven. (Paraphrased from someone well known.)

A proposition is either true or not true. This is a tautology since a proposition is a statement that is either true or untrue. A statement is a sentence or sequence of sentences that purports to be a proposition. A self-referential statement may be neither true nor false. e.g. "This statement is not a proposition."

Truth, in this sense, is a psycho-philosophical (or "psychosophical") concept. It describes way in which "intelligent" thought processes data. Intelligence is another psychosophical concept. Neither have any "meaning" standing on their own. This is the linkage between intelligence and truth.

A well defined statement...to be exact. For a statement that is not well defined could mean two different things depending how one defines the words within the statement.

KCurtis
02-23-2012, 09:06 PM
Yes, the portions are truths that might be easily grasped by individuals who might or might not be able to communicate them, but "the truth" is always a lie.
No it isn't. Isn't truth reality?

cacian
02-24-2012, 06:54 AM
would you equal truth as black and white, meaning it is not as straight forward as one may think?

cafolini
02-24-2012, 02:26 PM
No it isn't. Isn't truth reality?

Of course it is reality. There is always an idiotic part to reality. It is important not to let it take over.

Scheherazade
02-24-2012, 02:32 PM
Just wondering whether "truth" remains unchanging.

Need to ponder upon this further.

cafolini
02-24-2012, 04:36 PM
Just wondering whether "truth" remains unchanging.

Need to ponder upon this further.

It does not. Anything changes. But "the truth" has tried the hardest not to change with abundant rationalizations. Every bit of progress has historically been a battle against "the truth." And "the truth" has always tried to stop what it always misinterpreted in indifference as chaotic.

KCurtis
02-24-2012, 06:04 PM
Of course it is reality. There is always an idiotic part to reality. It is important not to let it take over.

Well I try not to let reality take over too much, then I would be depressed. That's why I love reading, preferably fiction set in different time periods.