Is there such a thing as truth

[DDp]

I say yes, truth exists. A universal definition may be hard to come by. Most of us would try to offer examples if asked to provide one. But truth still seems to exist. In reference to the debate about truth as relative to perception, I think Descartes treated that well with his example of the wax. A piece of wax has several physical characteristics that we use to identify it as wax. Such as the look, shape, and texture. However, when melted, the shape, and texture change. It is still wax. Descartes argued that there was something unchangeable that made the wax what is was. Maybe that's truth.
In the context of human relationships, truth is vital because it is the basis of communication. If I couldn't take anything my neighbor says as truth, what is the point of communicating with him/her.

[Gazok]

I think this entire argument is a complete waste of time...

Whether or not there is a truth has no bearing on what we percieve as the truth. If I tell what we perceive to be the truth all of the time, the effects upon me will be the effects usually observed when someone tells what we perceive to be the truth all of the time (usually a bloody nose ).

But as for the argument itself, I would give examples of the truth to be: I have a monitor, I am typing on a keyboard, it is night time, and only the highest order of pedantic prat would pick a fight with what I perceive as "night time."

[Mortecai4]

That would depend on what you mean by truth.
Statements can by true, like information, like math statements, like logical statements.
All these can be found true, or correct, because they make logical sense.

The greek philosiphers had different ideas on philisophical truths.
Plato believed that everything in this world was a dark shadow of what is really real.
He believed that the real truth came from the heavens; for example justice on earth is what we percieve
to be real justice, but isn't real justice,just an imperfect reflection of the real thing. He believed that most
people were ignorant of the real truth, and once they saw that, they would be happy.
Look up the allegory of the cave, that sums up most of Plato's philosophy.

One of his students Aristotle believed different; he believed that truth, true knowledge comes from what you
percieve in the world around you. He believed that only through the senes can you find truths about the world.

[dismantle]

Depending on what you mean by the TRUTH. I think the answer is perception is reality. Key reason why there are arguments tooo..

[KillyTheBit]

It is logically difficult to say: "there is no truth".
Because if there would be no truth, the fact that 'there is no truth' must be true. Therefore this sentence is contradicting.

This aside I think we would make this question far more easier if we had a good, clear definition of truth, agreed by all. So I defy you: give me a good definition of truth!

[tkdhkdmaster]

Anyone who is arguing about the red-haired Sally being opinionated or not definated truth:

It depends on how red is being used. If all red things are being assigned to her hair then no. But, if when TheMindRapist says red he means, "Reflects a wavelength of X in the light spectrum,". That is perfectly true and valid.

[Zune5]

Yes
1 + 2 = 3.
But 1 + 2 could = a+b. So it really depends.

[Charlieace]

Christ...

you're overthinking it waaaaaay too much.

yes there is such a thing as the truth. do people always tell it? hell no. do people sometimes tell it? yes.

a fact is basically the truth, and we know facts exist, hence truth exists.

if i say "yes i stole your car and violently crashed it", and i really did, its the truth.

if i say "no i didn't steal your car and violently crash it", and i really did, its lying.

is that so difficult?

[aNewHobby4me]

...is that so difficult?

In a world that allows quibbling over the definition of the word "is" in a legal deposition, do you really think that the word "truth" is going to be easy? It has waaaay more letters! And its further down the list alphabetically, too.

[Etelerix]

In my opinion, no one person can know truth completely because truth is constantly changing....

to better understand truth you must also change with it...

consequently there can never be a belief or ideology that is true, they claim to be the pathway to truth but they are not because overall their stories never change. Truth is constantly changing and if someone clings to their own little misconceptions of the world, then sadly they will never understand truth...

just an opinion...really got me thinking though