The search for truth has always puzzled humanity. Since ancient times, people have sought to know the truth about the world and the many claims being made about everything in the world. For modern scholars and philosophers, the process of determining what is true is an important epistemological process through which human beings develop knowledge. However, there are several competing truth claims in the world such that it is not easy to know if something is true or false. Fortunately, the following steps can be used to determine what is true and what is not.
One of these steps is to consider if a given claim is consistent with the fundamental principles held to be true. According to Rogers (1996), principles are important nuggets of truth, which do not change but show how understanding is developed throughout live. For example, a commonly held principle is that murder is a great crime. If the claim being considered violates this principle, then it is likely to be false. While it is possible that principles can have flaws or need reconsideration, it is more likely that they will provide a useful basis for determining if a claim is true or not.
Another step is to weigh the probable costs vis-à-vis the probably benefits of believing a claim to be true. In the example of murder, it is unlikely that anyone would agree that committing murder is a good thing. The cost of murder is too high than its benefits because it can result in death of loved ones besides causing tension in the society. This does not mean that some societies cannot allow people to commit murder, but chances of such a thing happening are very slim. Therefore, any claim to the contrary cannot be possibly be true. The same applies to any other claim whose costs appear to outweigh the benefits (Field, 2001).
Another important step in determining if a claim is true is to consider the credibility of the person making the claim. If the person is known to have specialized knowledge in the subject under consideration, the credibility of the claim goes up. This applies to empirical claims that can be tested through scientific procedures. In most cases, a person making an empirical claim will provide sufficient facts to back their arguments. These facts can be evaluated independently to ascertain the truth. A counter argument to this reasoning is that scientific claims can be fabricated especially when very little is known about the phenomenon being studied (Barbara & Fiala, 2015).
Another step is to consider personal biases. Each person has biases, which can influence decisions about the truth of something. According to Field (2001), it is important that people understand their own biases so as to seen through them when making important decisions in life. One important bias deserves more attention, the bias against discovery that something that was known to be true is actually false and vice versa. This bias causes people to easily accept claims as true or false. For example, somebody who strongly believes that the world was created by a supernatural being has a strong bias against evolutionary theories. For such a person, any claim that contradicts his belief is more likely to be false than true. This does not mean that biases are a standard test for truthfulness. Rather, they provide a point of reference for evaluating the validity of claims.
Barbara and Fiala (2015) advice that past sources of truth and experience can help people come to a conclusion regarding the truth of something. For example, I may know someone with knowledge in an area I lack. Even if no one has that knowledge, people may have different blind spots and biases, which can shape or neutralize my knowledge. Closely related to considering past sources of truth is knowing the number of supporters or opponents of a particular position. For example, if a large number of people think that something is not true, it is imperative to consider their views in order to make sound judgment regarding the validity of their views. However, the fact that large number of people is for a particular view does not mean that such a view is true. It is possible for the majority to be wrong.
According to Rogers (1996), the easiest way for knowing if something is true is to recognize the need for people to be allowed to question beliefs and propositions. This way, people may accept a claim on its entirety or partially, or keep some doubts in order to search for deeper truth later. That said it is necessary to accept the fact that there are some claims whose truth is hard to prove. For example, claims about the origin of the universe are very diverse and often contradict each other. Existing knowledge is not sufficient to explain whether the various claims about the origin of the universe are true or false. In conclusion, knowing what is true and what is not can be difficult. Most of the truths rely on prior knowledge and assumptions, some of which can be dismissed later.
References
Barbara, M. & Fiala, A. (2015). Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues. New York: Cengage Learning.
Field, H. (2001). Truth and the Absence of Fact. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Rogers, C. (1996). Toward a modern approach to values: The valuing process in the mature person. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 68(2), 160-167.
