Tok Essay

4. How can the different ways of knowing help us to distinguish between something that is true and something that is believed to be true?

Luigi Pirandello stated “A fact is like a sack which won't stand up when it is empty. In order that it may stand up, one has to put into it the reason and sentiment which have caused it to exist.” After understanding the value of each way of knowing, such as logic, emotion, language, and sense perception, I realized that different ways of knowing are deeply related to the method of discovering truth. Although some of the ways of knowing might have greater strengths or weaknesses which provide a different depth of knowledge, these help to distinguish something that is true and something that is believed to be true because they are all interconnected. The definition of truth or something that is believed to be true; is not sufficient to understand how people attribute truth; rather it is essential to examine our ways of knowing through the use of examples and experiences that help one to establish the concept of truth. I have experienced innumerable people arguing and debating about whether something is true or not. This raises the question “how can we know the truth? Is there enough evidence to substantiate the claim?”In regards to this question, this essay will explore the different ways of knowing that reveal how to find truth.  

So what is the difference between something that is true and something that is believed to be true? According to my Nature of Truth presentation, philosopher David Hume states truth itself is relative. He claims “reason is the only way to discover truth and to find reason discovery of ideas should conform to real existence.” This echoes the correspondence theory about which we have learnt; that what one individual sees and believes should match in order to become true. For example, if one sees and believes a single desk to have a rectangular shape and legs made of metal, it is considered a truth,...