The Two Major Theories Of Truth
“Truth can be relative” (Velasquez 2017, p. 433). This statement refers not to objective truth, but rather subjective truths that humans can gauge through their life experiences. The Correspondence Theory (or Coherence Theory) are the two main theories of truth. Descartes was not the only philosopher to offer their opinions on the Correspondence Theory. John Locke, Immanuel Kant, and Descartes were also among them. However, they all proved it useful.
In reality, the Correspondence Theory is simply how spoken words are translated into reality. The teacher telling a student water freezes at 32 degrees Celsius, this information is considered factual truth. Water does indeed turn to ice when it reaches 32 degrees Celsius. It is difficult to prove the truthfulness of information passed on by people. You can only test the relationship between the supposed fact and the real world. As real-world evidence matches the information given to students, the teacher was honest in the above example. The Correspondence Theory has its challenges. Scaling truth is more than simple comparisons. “To which fact are true propositions supposed to correspond?” Velasquez, p.438, 2017. This statement is challenging the foundations of Correspondence Theory. What is the best way to determine whether a proposition is true? This idea might seem confusing, but it is actually a cycle that brings us back to the initial question. Correspondence Theory relies entirely on a fact being true (e.g. water freezing level). But how do we correspond this fact to? The Correspondence Theory focuses on one type of truth, and it may result in more questions than conclusive answers.
“Truth does not exist between two facts. Truth is coherence among beliefs. This principle challenges Correspondence Theory of truth because it says truth is (subjective) at its core and only belief. The Correspondence Theory and Coherence Theory both state that one can tell another the sky is blue. But the Coherence Theory recognises that truths are only beliefs. Coherence Theory makes it difficult to communicate truth and communication because it raises more questions than answers.
Chapter 6 Lectures provide a simplified view of how Coherence Theory works in real life. The Lecture Structure outlines how the Coherence Theory challenges Correspondence Theory. Avoiding being run over is a key principle of the Coherence Theory. While people may not have personally experienced it, they can trust other people’s experiences and use that set to guide them. Although this truth theory may be more common in everyday life it makes Correspondence Theory necessary. This creates a yin/yang situation. These truth theories can be used to help you understand what happens when someone gives off truth.
Both theories of truth have their place in our daily lives, but I find the Correspondence theory more applicable to explaining why something’s true. We don’t have enough time to explain the sky blue. But knowing the truth of the sky helps us connect with other truths. The Coherence Theory raises profound questions and is meant to be discussed on philosophy and the universe in general, while the Correspondence Theory is better suited for relaying facts. The end result is subjective, because truth comes from one question.
