Volume : IV, Issue : VI, June - 2014

Theories of Truth

Aloke Bhunia

Abstract :

On characteristic of any proposition we know is that it must be true. If it is not true, we cannot be said to know it. Truth is involved in knowing. A proposition can be true without being known to be true, but it cannot be known to be true without being true. The word ‘true’ is used in many senses. Philosophers are concerned only with the sense of ‘true’ in which truth is property of characteristic of proposition. A true proposition describes a state–of–affairs which is actual – that is, which actually exists and a false proposition reports a state–of–affairs which does not actually exist. When a sentence is used to report a state–of–affairs, and this state of affairs is actual, then the proposition that the sentence expresses is true. Further, any other sentence that is used to express the same state–of–affairs will also express a true proposition.  There are different kinds of truth, and we can discover the truths of different propositions in many different ways, for example, truth as correspondence, truth as coherence, truth as pragmatic etc . According to the correspondence theory of truth a proposition is true if it corresponds with a fact; that is with a state–ofaffair. How does a true proposition corresponds to a facts? According to A. C. Ewing, the word “Correspondence” suggests that when we make a true judgment, we have sort of picture of the real in our minds and that our judgment is true because, this picture is like the reality it represents. According to the pragmatic theory of truth , truth is what “Works”, and true proposition is one that works. Suppose, I believe that there are living organisms on mars.. If I go to Mars and fined living organisms there, then indeed my belief has turned out to be true (i.e. “it works”) and it is true because that proposition describes and actual state of affairs. ‘Coherence’ is a relation among propositions. ‘A group of proposition is coherent’ means each of them supports the other ones – they are mutually supporting. Whatever the relation of a group of propositions may be to each other, the question of truth does not arise until we consider whether any or all of these propositions reports an actual state – of–affairs in the world. In this sense coherence is a matter of degree.

Keywords :

Article: Download PDF   DOI : 10.36106/ijar  

Cite This Article:

Aloke Bhunia Theories of Truth Indian Journal of Applied Research, Vol.IV, Issue.VI June 2014

Number of Downloads : 754

References :