Dear Jon,
wonderful questions! I try to give some answer (from my own point of
view!):
> What is Truth?
>
We can say that's true what really happens. So truth is something true,
truth it's a fact. That's obvious. The real problem is that we have
different opinions about facts.
> There seems to be some conflicting views here about Truth.
>
> "What is true, Phaedrus, and what is not true? Need we ask anyone tell us
> these things?"
>
> Apparently yes.
>
I can say that something is true... in my opinion. What is an opinion? It's
an explanation of facts. This explanation can change everyday, usually when
influenced by someone else's opinion, someone I trust in. If I want to say
that something is true, I must compare my opinions with the public opinion.
Of course public opinion is not truth, it can be only an approximation. When
you say that public opinion fails you are just trying to change it. If you
are
able to change it, then you create a new public "truth". If you are not able
to
change it, perhaps they will say you are mad.
For example, here in Europe we are all sure that America exists. I've never
been there (sadly) but I'm sure that the existence of America is a truth.
Just like it was a truth 507 years ago that nothing was existing west from
Europe, beyond the Atlantic ocean.
Columbus gave us a new truth. But....what is America? Do we agree about it?
There are boundless properties defining America. And surely we don't agree
on everything. So if we want to find the absolute America, the truth of
America, we must know everything about America. And it's simply impossible.
We can't reach an absolute objective truth. It doesn't mean that all is in
our mind: we can know something (intellectually) only comparing our
opinions with someone else. We can only reach an inter - subjective truth.
> My question is: is truth the greatest good, or is good the greatest truth?
I think the knowledge of truth would be the greatest good (I say would be
'cause I think a complete truth is unreachable).
All the history of human intellect is about searching for truth. Our past
was (and our future will be) a continual approximation to truth. When we
find a good explanation, usually we stop the search and we say we found
something "true".
I answer to your question by saying: "good is an approximation to the
knowledge of truth; better is a movement toward the knowledge of truth".
> Can that question even be answered? And can the answer to that question be
> proven true? Or for that matter, can the answer to that question be proven
> good?
>From my point of view, my answer is not true at all: it's just my
explanation and I can't prove if it's true or not. I can say it's a good
answer, if it's able to gain a large agreement in public opinion. And I'm
ready to say it's not good, if I find someone with a "better" answer.
>
> Can something be good if it isn't true? Certainly something can be true if
it
> isn't good. Truth is supposed to be truth, no matter if you like it or
not.
> It just *is*. But good depends *solely* on whether you like it or not.
Right?
>
Indeed, the Atom bomb isn't good, but it's true.... however it would be good
to know exactly why the A-bomb exists, don't you think?
> Truth is oblivious to opinions; you can't make it go away because you
don't
> like it.
>
> Good, on the other hand, depends on opinions in order to exist. "Man is
the
> measure of all things." Am I way off track here? If so, explain.
My explanation of Protagoras' sentence is this: when you say for example
that kilogram is the measure of weight , you are not saying that kilogram
can change the weight of something. You are just saying that we value the
weight of something comparing it with another "known" weight, the kilogram.
Likewise man opinion can't change facts. But we value a fact by comparing
it's effect on us with similar effects of other "known" facts. We decide a
fact is good or bad comparing it with our opinions.
Good answers?
Marco.
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