1. Conclusion – Truth and wisdom
Chapter 14
Conclusion – Truth and wisdom
p. 439
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What is truth?
Correspondence theory
Coherence theory
Pragmatic theory
Discussion: Summary table of theories on p. 447 of the Coursebook.
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Can we know the truth?
Our picture of the world is always an interpretation.
We can never be sure that our interpretation is true.
p. 447
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4. Limitations of our knowledge tools
Perception: if our senses had evolved differently, our perception of the world would be different.
Language: there will always be aspects of reality that words cannot describe adequately.
Emotion: just because you believe something passionately does not guarantee it is true.
Reason: there may be things that we are not intelligent enough to understand.
p. 448
Discussion: Activity 14.7, p. 448
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5. Are we getting closer to the truth?
Perhaps – you might insist that knowledge progresses over time and that we are at least getting closer to the truth.
But the success of the quest for knowledge in the past is no guarantee that it will continue to be successful in the future.
How can we be sure that the laws of nature will continue to work in the future?
Perhaps the ‘great truths’ we have discovered will turn out to be nothing more than anomalies.
p. 448
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6. Beyond dogmatism and relativism (1)
Dogmatism = stating your opinions in a strong way and not accepting the views of others.
Maybe the world could be a better place if people held their views with a little humility.
p. 449
Discussion: Activity 14.8, p. 449
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7. Beyond dogmatism and relativism (2)
The lure of relativism
Relativism = there is no absolute truth. There is just individual truth (my truth and your truth).
Criticisms:
Just because you are not certain of the truth does not mean it does not exist.
If you accept everyone’s truth, there are no grounds for evaluating whether something is true or not and everything is reduced to personal preferences.
The statement ‘There is no truth,’ refutes itself as soon as you ask if it is true.
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Degrees of truth
Truth may be seen as an unattainable ideal which we can be nearer to or further away from.
p. 451
Discussion: Activity 14.9, p. 451
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9. The cubist theory of truth
The more perspectives you have on something, the nearer you are to the truth about it.
Just because truth varies with perspective does not mean there is no truth at all.
Different views can enrich our understanding of the truth.
This avoids:
the error of dogmatism → mistaking a half-truth for the truth
the error of relativism → thinking that since truth varies with perspective there is no truth at all.
p. 452
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What price truth?
It is often assumed that truth is a good thing (for example, Socrates linked knowledge to happiness and virtue).
However, does the cost of seeking knowledge sometimes outweigh the benefits?
p. 452
Discussion: Activity 14.10, p. 452
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11. Do we naturally seek the truth?
Children are naturally curious, but they are also naturally willing to believe what they are told.
People seem to have defence mechanisms to protect them from unwelcome truth, such as:
selective attention: seeing what they want to see
rationalisation: finding bad reasons to justify prejudices
communal reinforcement: only mixing with people who share the same views.
There is no reason to believe that the truth will make us happy. However, the longer we avoid the truth, the bigger the nasty surprises may be later.
p. 453
Discussion: Activity 14.11, p. 454
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12. Ought we to seek the truth?
Time and money spent searching for truth could be better spent, e.g. when people are dying of thirst and starvation.
New technologies may have huge potential benefits, but also present huge dangers if used badly.
p. 454–5
Discussion: Activity 14.12, p. 456
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13. Five key features of wisdom (1)
1 Good judgement
This comes with experience plus reflection on experience.
2 Breadth of vision
Narrow specialisation of knowledge may not result in a sense of the whole. TOK puts emphasis on comparing and contrasting claims in different areas of knowledge.
3 Self-knowledge
This makes us question beliefs and avoid prejudice.
p. 456
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14. Five key features of wisdom (2)
4 Responsibility
Almost any statement we accept requires that we are willing to trust others. When we pass on knowledge we should therefore exercise responsibility to:
base knowledge claims on evidence
be consistent
be open to criticism.
5 Intellectual humility
Absolute knowledge is beyond the intellectual and perceptual ability of humans. Socrates and Newton recognised their own relative ignorance (learned ignorance – achieved after a lifetime of thought).
Discussion: ‘Trying to make sense of the world is not to reach a destination but to travel with a different point of view.’
Linking questions: p. 462
Reading resources:
Ghosts p. 463
Integrity p. 465
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