“Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” – Henry David Thoreau.
What is truth? So asked Pontius Pilate of Christ (John 18:38). It is a question that one hears in different forms today. In an age where truth has been reduced to opinion, what is true is a malleable concept.
Truth, what it is, and where one finds it has been a matter that has intrigued philosophy and theology for centuries. Yet the question of truth is not an abstract one to be pondered by philosophers and monks. Indeed, how one answers the question has implications for Catholicism, ethics, and society.
In this paper, I will argue that God is the objective criterion for truth. I will begin by defining the different forms of truth. I will then show that God must be the source of objective truth. I will proceed to show how objective truth can be known. Lastly, I will examine why knowing the truth matters.
How many truths are there?
In order to answer the question “what is truth,” it is first necessary to ascertain if there is one truth or many truths.
The term objective truth is the view that what is true is independent of the individual. That is to say; objective truth is conforming the mind to reality. In this sense, there is only one truth to which each individual’s mind is to conform. Still, there are two subsets of truth, even under the umbrella of objective truth.
A necessary truth is true in all possible worlds. A necessary truth is true at all times and under all conditions. For example, if John Doe is a bachelor, he is not married.
On the other hand, a contingent truth is true, but it need not be true. As an example, I could say that I have cats. It is true, but it could not be true under different circumstances.
Subjective truth is a truth that is derived from one’s feelings or opinions. For example, one could find that the weather is hot, whereas another person does not think that the weather is hot. It is true that the weather is hot for one person, but not for the other.
What is the source of objective and subjective truth? It is to that question that I turn next.
Where does truth come from?
The source of subjective truth will vary according to each person’s background, philosophy, feelings, and biases. By definition, subjective truth is entirely dependent on the individual. As such, there are as many subjective truths as there are opinions.
However, if objective truth does exist, its source is, by definition, must be independent of human beings.
As truth is the conforming of the mind to reality, the source of truth must also be an intellect. This intellect must be independent of human beings in order to be objective. Finally, this intellect must be the source of reality to which the human mind can conform. Since nothing can exist that does not exist in the mind of its creator, and since God is the creator, it must be admitted that God is the criterion for objective truth. (Saint Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica, Question 16, Article 5. Christian Classic 2005 ).
If truth is objective, how can it be known?
As has been said, objective truth is independent of human intellect. This leads to the question: if objective truth is something “out there,” how can we know it? In a sense, knowledge of objective truth requires knowledge of the mind of God or what is called the eternal law. Yet, this appears to be impossible for human beings to attain.
How then can human beings know what is objectively true? The answer lies in the capacity of the human intellect to understand natural law. Natural law is “nothing else than the rational creature’s participation in the eternal law.” (Saint Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica, Question 91. Christian Classic 2005).
The capacity to know natural law is imparted to human beings by God and is called conscience. It can be helpful to view truth as hierarchical. That which is true and good is identical to the mind of God. Truth and goodness are made manifest in natural law, and natural law is communicated to human beings through conscience.
It should be pointed out that the conscience is a power of the human intellect. As is evident, the intellect is fallible. For this reason, the Catholic Church stresses the importance of adequately forming the conscience so that it can make proper judgments about what is good.
I have thus far treated what truth is and where it can be found. One question remains, why is knowing the truth important?
Does Knowing the Truth Matter?
There are at least two significant reasons why the truth matters. The first is somewhat abstract, while the second is rather concrete.
The first reason is that truth is a transcendental. Transcendentals are properties or qualities of existence that are true of everything that exists. Said of truth, it is a transcendental in that it refers to intelligibility. That is to say, truth is a condition of knowledge. When we know what a thing is, we are said to have a true understanding of it.
Now human beings are rational creatures, and knowledge is the object of reason. That is, rationality is connatural with the truth. Truth is to the mind what health is to the body.
The second reason humans seek the truth is that we are social animals. As social animals, we live in societies, and societies require cooperation. Being truthful provides the foundation for such things as social bonds and economic transactions. Without truth, friendships, families, and businesses become untenable.
Conclusion
What is truth? In the preceding paper, I have endeavored to provide an answer to that question.
I have provided a definition of subjective and objective truth. I have also suggested that objective truth differs from subjective truth because the source of objective truth is God. In contrast, subjective truth is based on the individual’s opinions and biases.
Ultimately, the reason why truth is important lies in human nature. To be rational is to seek to know what is true. Yet human beings are more than just rational animals; we are also religious animals. Because of this, we seek not only particular truths but ultimate truth. That ultimate truth is God.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In