Ask HN: How to tell what's true from false or right or wrong?

Re:Ask HN: How to tell what's true from false or right or wr... by vishalchandra on Friday August 15, 2014 @06:04AM (#8181560)

1. There are no absolute universal truths.

2. There are only at best absolute local truths i.e. truths which are truths only in a limited local subsystem of the entire possible universe. The moment you consider a larger enclosing system of which the local subsystem is only a part then the truth may cease to be.

3. One should be comfortable believing that contradicting truths can co-exist. It is the limitation of the human mind to resolve the contradictions.

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Re:Ask HN: How to tell what's true from false or right or wr... by AnimalMuppet on Friday August 15, 2014 @12:36PM (#8182929)

Interestingly, you state #1 as an absolute universal truth. In this, I think that your position is self-contradictory.

There is a reality that exists. Statements are true or false to the degree that they conform or fail to conform to the reality that exists.

The problem is knowing to what degree a statement conforms to the truth of what exists...

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Re:Ask HN: How to tell what's true from false or right or wr... by yetihehe on Friday August 15, 2014 @12:57PM (#8183052)

I've seen nice summary of #1 in one sentence: All generalizations are wrong, including this one.

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Re:Ask HN: How to tell what's true from false or right or wr... by AnimalMuppet on Friday August 15, 2014 @07:56PM (#8184933)

Yes, but instead of being self-contradictory, now it's special pleading.

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Re:Ask HN: How to tell what's true from false or right or wr... by vishalchandra on Saturday August 16, 2014 @12:01AM (#8185372)

But you do not take into consideration #3 when trying to 'appreciate' #1

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Re:Ask HN: How to tell what's true from false or right or wr... by danbruc on Friday August 15, 2014 @06:09AM (#8181567)

Your second point is a complicated thing - while it is true that everything may be different when you go far enough away it is also true that the assumption that the laws of nature are the same everywhere in the (observable) universe is a foundational pillar of science.

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Re:Ask HN: How to tell what's true from false or right or wr... by vishalchandra on Saturday August 16, 2014 @12:05AM (#8185378)

The assumption that the laws of nature are the same everywhere is equivalent to saying that there are universal truths which I agree with.

Second point only highlights our limitations (due to limitations of local observational capability only) to stating those laws of nature / universal truths with enough degree of correctness so that they may really be categorised as universal truths.

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Re:Ask HN: How to tell what's true from false or right or wr... by Broken_Hippo on Friday August 15, 2014 @08:31AM (#8181834)

nothing is true. Everything is permitted.

Basic discordian philosophy.

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