What is Truth?
What is truth?
Paul J. Dejillas, Ph.D. – September 13, 2001
It was first raised in Latin: "Quid est veritas?", Pilate jestingly asked. But he was not really serious about knowing the truth. Neither was it the proper time to deliver a serious lecture on the subject. The crowd was clamoring for Jesus' crucifixion.
Christ simply said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). A similar response he gave to Thomas: "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6). Apparently, Jesus wanted us to find the answer ourselves.
If you were asked the same question today, what is truth? What would be your response?
In my class on “Sustainable Development”, I present the articles below to get the random reactions of my students in the doctoral program on Applied Cosmic Anthropology.
1. "Sustainable Development Is Necessary to Protect Global Resources." Danja Van Der Veldt. 194
2. "Sustainable Development Is Unnecessary." Jerry Taylor 202.
3. "Organic Farming Protects the Environment and Sustains Human Life." Jonathan Dimbleby 77
4. "Organic Farming Harms the Environment and Threatens Human Health." Dennis T. Avery 84
5. "Sustainable Development Is Necessary to Protect Global Resources." Danja Van Der Veldt. 194
6. "Sustainable Development Is Unnecessary." Jerry Taylor 202.
7. "Organic Farming Protects the Environment and Sustains Human Life." Jonathan Dimbleby 77
8. "Organic Farming Harms the Environment and Threatens Human Health." Dennis T. Avery 84
9. "Global Oil Reserves Are Being Exhausted." Kenneth S. Deffeyes. 17
10. "Global Oil Reserves Are Not Being Exhausted." Sarah A. Emerson 24
11. "Global Food Supplies are Becoming Scarcer." Lester R. Brown 30
12. "Global Food Supplies are Not Becoming Scarcer." Bjorn Lomborg. 37
13. "Rain Forest Destruction Has Reached Crisis Proportion." Peter Bunyard. 46
14. "The Extent of Rain Forest Destruction Has Been Exaggerated." Marc Morano and Kent Washburn. 50
15. "Genetically Engineered Foods Should Be Produced." The Economist. 60
16. "Genetically Engineered Foods Should Not Be Produced." Vandana Shiva 68
17. "Organic Farming Protects the Environment and Sustains Human Life." Jonathan Dimbleby 77
18. "Organic Farming Harms the Environment and Threatens Human Health." Dennis T. Avery 84
19. "Livestock Agriculture Depletes Land Resources." Ed Ayres. 94
20. "Livestock Agriculture is Beneficial." National Cattlemen’s Beef Association 98
21. Genetically Engineered Foods Should Be Produced." The Economist. 60
22. "Genetically Engineered Foods Should Not Be Produced." Vandana Shiva 68
23. "Organic Farming Protects the Environment and Sustains Human Life." Jonathan Dimbleby 77
24. "Organic Farming Harms the Environment and Threatens Human Health." Dennis T. Avery 84
25. "Livestock Agriculture Depletes Land Resources." Ed Ayres. 94
26. "Livestock Agriculture is Beneficial." National Cattlemen’s Beef Association 98
27. "Stabilizing the World’s Population Growth Will Protect Global Resources." Werner Fornos. 162
28. "Population Growth Does not Threaten Global Resources." Nicholas Eberstadt. 173
29. "Globalized Free Trade Will Protect Global Resources." James M. Sheelban
30. "Globalized Free Trade Can Exhaust Global Resources." Stanley Wood. 187
31. "Sustainable Development Is Necessary to Protect Global Resources." Danja Van Der Veldt.194
32. "Sustainable Development Is Unnecessary." Jerry Taylor 202.
Who is saying the truth?
Try to reflect on the above questions for one to two minutes and make your own judgement.
If you have made a decision already, what standards have you adopted for discerning what is true and untrue? Based on your criteria, would you say that what you have arrived at to be true can also be true to me?
If you think we have the same concept of what is truth, then, we must have been using the same criteria. But supposing our answers differ and are in fact diametrically opposed to each other, can you still stick to your truth and outrightly disregard my truth as untruth?
If I insist that mine is also true, then, do we have two different truths. How shall we resolve the issue? Can we submit the case to the Appellate Court and, if we can't submit to its ruling, can we go to the Supreme Court? I experienced this process and our respective defense never rested.
Or, without being too legalistic about it, can we just say that there are two truths and, by extrapolation, conclude that there are in fact as many truths as there are individuals and souls living on Earth?
If so, does this mean that there can never be one truth that applies to all? If there is one absolute truth, how is this arrived at?
Endless questions that remain to be answered to this day. I have formulated answers to all this a long time ago that have put my defense lawyers to rest.