Peter Abelard, 12th Century Parisian Monk and Philosopher Truth “The key to wisdom is this- Constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.” Peter Abelard, 12th Century Parisian Monk and Philosopher

The Nature of Truth opening questions In your composition notebooks create a new entry entitled “Nature of Truth-opening questions” Answer the following questions What is the singular most important truth to you personally? How do you know that it is true? Is it true for everyone? What is truth? (create your own definition) How can one “know” what is truth?

Nature of Truth Truth is a very difficult term/idea to define Philosophers have been wresting with this idea for centuries Another way to look at truth is “what is real” or “what is reality” This is a part of the larger field of philosophical study called epistemology

The Nature of Truth So how can we define this complex idea… Truth, like knowledge, is surprisingly difficult to define. We seem to rely on it almost every moment of every day and it's very "close" to us. Yet it's difficult to define because as soon as you think you have it pinned down, some case or counterexample immediately shows deficiencies. Ironically, every definition of truth that philosophers have developed falls prey to the question, "Is it true?" Simply, we can define truth as: a statement about the way the world actually is.

The Nature of Truth Well if it so hard to define, why should I bother studying it? The search for truth is a worthy journey… “The unexamined life is not worth living” –Socrates Or the life worth living is one which is examined The search for truth… Helps us make better decisions (see cognitive biases) Strengthens our most personal beliefs Helps us understand each other better, that is, it helps us develop empathy

The Nature of Truth “The key to wisdom is this- Constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.” ~Peter Abelard, 12th Century Parisian Monk and Philosopher