For the 5th century BCE pre-Socratic philosopher and leading figure of the Eleatic school Parmenides, truth is universal. It contains everything, unifies all. It is All and, therefore, One. Because of this, truth has the unshakable attribute of certainty. Accordingly, if something cannot pass the test of universality, it cannot generate certainty, so it cannot be the … Continue reading Parmenides on Truth vs Opinion
Common Sense and Truth – Reflections
"How prone to doubt, how cautious are the wise!" Homer, some 3.000 years ago "The Thinker" by Auguste Rodin, in the Legion's courtyard, San Francisco* How reliable is our common sense? It gets us by on a day-to-day basis mostly without big blunders. So we can agree that common sense is reliable as an adaptability … Continue reading Common Sense and Truth – Reflections
The Meaning of Objectivity, Reality, Truth – Part II (Final)
In the first part of this article (published last week), I stopped at the appearance on the stage of Plato and his ideas of what is real, as expressed in his famous cave allegory. Now, I jump right in and pick up from exploring Plato`s thoughts on the topic of reality. Afterwards, I offer some … Continue reading The Meaning of Objectivity, Reality, Truth – Part II (Final)
The Meaning of Objectivity, Reality, Truth – Part I
Real life. Objective reality. True fact. We all confront these and similar short phrases in our daily lives. They are powerful because they are meaningful to us. Yet, do we really, objectively, truly know the meaning of these words? Do we understand that it is us who endow them with meaning? If we are ready to contemplate … Continue reading The Meaning of Objectivity, Reality, Truth – Part I
Miracles – should we believe in them? (and is this the right question to ask)
Christmas time in the air, it was very fitting that my last philosophy course essay topic was on miracles. It was in the context of the philosophy of religion and focused on the questions of what do we understand by miracles and should we believe in them. image from pixabay While working on the essay … Continue reading Miracles – should we believe in them? (and is this the right question to ask)