The common-sense version of truth is “telling it like it is”. The big problem with this notion is that reality makes it hard to properly perceive truth. Figuring out the laws of reality is an arduous task that took thousands of years, required a level of civilization far removed from our ancestral environment, and is still far from complete. Survival means using a number of shortcuts and heuristics to get a good enough approximation. This leads to a pragmatic notion of truth where “correspondence to reality” is a goal insofar as it has a practical benefit. The ideal Platonic truth takes a backseat.
For example, determining whether God exists is a rather unimportant academic point (not to mention being impossible to decide one way or the other). Evaluating the social utility of religion, on the other hand, is a lot more important. If a religion is good enough to benefit the group, that truth is much more important than the literal truth of its dogma. Many cults are “true” in the sense that they provide a community and sense of purpose for people who were otherwise unfulfilled.
The common-sense version of truth is “telling it like it is”. The big problem with this notion is that reality makes it hard to properly perceive truth. Figuring out the laws of reality is an arduous task that took thousands of years, required a level of civilization far removed from our ancestral environment, and is still far from complete. Survival means using a number of shortcuts and heuristics to get a good enough approximation. This leads to a pragmatic notion of truth where “correspondence to reality” is a goal insofar as it has a practical benefit. The ideal Platonic truth takes a backseat.
For example, determining whether God exists is a rather unimportant academic point (not to mention being impossible to decide one way or the other). Evaluating the social utility of religion, on the other hand, is a lot more important. If a religion is good enough to benefit the group, that truth is much more important than the literal truth of its dogma. Many cults are “true” in the sense that they provide a community and sense of purpose for people who were otherwise unfulfilled.