The big idea: Knowledge needs truth — but what IS truth?
Say 'the cat is on the mat'. What actually makes that sentence true? It sounds obvious until you try to say it exactly — and that's the puzzle this micro follows.
Philosophers offer three main theories of truth. Each answers 'what makes it true?' in a different way.
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Take them one at a time — each is a simple, clear idea with a weak spot.
1. Correspondence — it matches reality: The correspondence theory says a statement is true when it matches reality. 'The cat is on the mat' is true because, out there, the cat really is on the mat. Simple and natural — but its weak spot is that we can never step outside our own minds to check the match directly; all we ever have is more beliefs.
2. Coherence — it fits your other beliefs
The coherence theory says a statement is true when it fits smoothly with everything else you believe — no contradictions. This works well for maths and for spotting lies. Its weak spot: a made-up story can be perfectly coherent inside itself and still be false, so 'fitting together' can't be the whole of truth.
3. Pragmatic — it works in practice
The pragmatic theory says a belief is true when acting on it works — it makes reliable predictions and gets results. 'The ice is thick enough' is true if you cross safely. Its weak spot: some useful beliefs are false, and some true things are useless — so 'it works' and 'it's true' can come apart.
Checkpoint — three theories: In one line: correspondence = matches reality; coherence = fits your other beliefs; pragmatic = works in practice. Learn the one-word tag for each.
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All three theories assume truth is a property of statements. One tradition questions that assumption itself.
Lao Tzu: truth you live, not truth you state: The Chinese thinker Lao Tzu, in the Tao Te Ching, opens with a warning: 'The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao.'
Truth as a statement
- A sentence that matches the facts
- A claim you tick as correct
Truth for Lao Tzu
- The deepest truth: something you come to by living in harmony with the way of things
- Reached through self-realization
- A path you walk
Go further — higher-level insight: Notice these two pictures don't have to fight. 'The cat is on the mat' is clearly the statement kind of truth, where correspondence fits. But 'living truthfully' or 'a true friend' points at Lao Tzu's kind — truth as harmony and integrity, not fact-matching. Seeing that 'truth' might name more than one thing is a top-band move.
Checkpoint — Lao Tzu: In one line: for Lao Tzu the deepest truth is something you live your way into, not a statement you check against the facts.