This is a true fact...

tumblr_lefecjKhd91qzmhamo1_500

DB: I think there are some constant definitions of truth.

Me: Truth is both provisional and contextual; for every condition of true, I bet I could find an exception proving the reverse (and not in a purely logical sense either).



DB: having no constancy of true or false is like a ship with no compass.

Me: like a compass (which is an analog device), the definition of what is true exists on an analog continuum. Which is to say that what is true under a given set of circumstances, may not be true under a different set.

DB: The big "N" on a compass is ALWAYS north and the needle will always point to it - it is not "contextual".

Me: The needle on a compass points to magnetic North. Follow a compass bearing exactly from the equator to the pole and one will find the pole, but the course taken will vary (locally) depending upon what the analog magnetic field is doing. For example in some parts of Southern California following the magnetic field will take you in an Easterly direction.

That’s an excerpt from a conversation between a friend of mine, and myself. We can get pretty geeky serious when it comes to philosophical gyrations. We have this conversation a LOT. Every time the debate is
new, but not different.

I’m obsessed with the nature of fact and truth. A side effect of this obsession is my (almost) complete disregard for claims of authority. Especially when such claims are made from positions of self assumed power. I’ve spent many hours, at different times, pondering the nature of fact and truth. I definitely have an opinion about this, but I’m likely to claim my opinion is fact. It’s the nature of my
madness.

I believe almost nothing that I can’t either physically confirm with my own senses, or construct a reasonable reality for. For me, only “events” are factual. They either will occur, are occurring, have occurred, or not. The truth of the fact of an event’s occurrence, or not, isn’t really disputable.

The tricky part is that as we move further afield of the fact of an event, into the circumstances surrounding it, the difference between fact and truth gets a bit more dicey; open to interpretation; manifold. This is when it’s most important to scrutinize others’ claims. Because YOU have to believe ME. I’M telling YOU the truth.



There’s a roster of #letsblogoff posts below that lists other participants. Go read their stuff too.
Don’t forget to leave a comment.

Popular posts from this blog

Poetry month…