INTRODUCTION OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

LESSON 2: TRUTH AND OPINION

MR. JESSIE A. AQUILLO.
KINDS OF TRUTH

Is truth established or arrived at by means of sense experience (experience through the five organs of sense) or
reason (through inference or analysis of concepts)? This question gives rise to the difference between empirical
truth and rational truth.
Empirical truth is established by means of sense experience; while rational truth is established by means of
reason.

Examples:
Empirical truth - It is raining.
The chocolate is sweet.
Rational truth - 1+1=2.
Triangle has three sides.

Empirical truth is technically described as a posteriori, which means it can only be known after some relevant
experiences. Rational truth is technically described as apriori, which means it can be known before some
relevant experience.

Whether or not knowing the truth extends our knowledge or adds to what we already know? This question gives
rise to the difference between synthetic truth and analytic truth. Synthetic truth extends our knowledge (the
information provided by the predicate is not contained in the information provided by the subject) while
Analytic truth does not (the information provided by the predicate is contained in the information provided by
the subject).

Examples:
Synthetic truth - The table is brown.
Pandan is a beautiful place.
Stephanie is in love.
Analytic truth - Square has four equal sides.
Love is a string affection arising out of kinship or
personalities.

All empirical truths are synthetic truths.

Whether or not a statement or belief is true in all situation. This gives rise to the difference
between contingent truth and necessary truth. Contingent truth is not true in all possible situations
whereas necessary truth is.

Examples:
Contingent Truth
Necessary truth
- The door is yellow.
Alice is beautiful.
- 2+4 = 6
Circle has no corners.
 Whether or not the truth of a belief or statement is dependent on the attitudes, preferences, or
interests of a person or a group of persons. This gives rise to the difference between subjective
truth and objective truth.

Subjective truth is dependent on the attitudes, preferences, or interests of a person or a group

of persons; while objective truth is not. Value judgments such as aesthetic judgments are usually
subjective, while factual judgments are objective. For instance, the truth of the statement or judgment
that rock music is the best kind of music is subjective for it will depend on one's musical preferences.
But the truth of the statement that rock music is one of the major kinds of music is objective, for
whether one likes rock music or not the statement "Rock music is one of the major kinds of music
remains to be true.

Whether a belief or statement is acknowledged to be true by everyone or only by some people.

This gives rise to the difference between universal truth and relative truth.

Something is universally true if its truth is acknowledged by everyone, while something is

relatively true if its truth is acknowledged only by some people. Objective truths are usually universal
truths as well; while subjective truths are usually relative truths as well. That rock music is a major
musical genre or category is acknowledged to be true by everyone, but that rock music is the best
kind of music is only acknowledged by some people, for some people have a different idea of what is
the best kind of music.

Whether the truth of a belief is arrived at through the process of deductive reasoning or
inductive reasoning. This gives rise to the difference between certain truth and probable truth.

Deductive truth, the truth of the statement arrived at through the process of deductive is
certain; whereas inductive truth, the truth arrived at through the process of inductive reasoning, is
merely probable. For instance, the truth of the statement Pedro is mortal, which is deductively inferred
from the truth of the statements All humans are mortal and Pedro is human, is certain. On the other
hand, the truth of the statement "Juan is hospitable, which is inductively inferred from the truth of the
statements "Most Filipinos are hospitable and "Juan is a Filipino," is merely probable.