Correspondence Theory of Truth - Hindu and Buddhist Conceptions - Essay Example

Teacher Philosophy 13th December, Correspondence Theory of Truth – Hindu and Buddhist Conceptions The correspondence theory of truth lies under the topic of philosophy. Many philosophers and scientists like Aristotle, Thomas Aqinas, Plato, Russel and Moore have given their views on the basis of their own understanding of truth. The various concepts of truth laid by them resulted into number of theories explaining the truth. It’s a completely separate set of theories under the roof of Philosophy.

There are number of claims which relate truth with the “likeness”, just because it fits well into the philosophy of mind. The research continued later in the 20th century and new formulations and facts were evaluated. According to the theory, “a belief is considered to be true, if it reacts to a certain related or associated complex, and it is not considered to be true if it doesn’t”.[Russle] Further it is explained that it’s not a mind which creates the truth or falsehood. A mind only has the ability of making the beliefs.

This belief can be stated true or false by a fact, and that doesn’t exist in a mind.[informationphilosopher.com] Even after such a clear definition of truth, it is very difficult to determine what is true and what is not. There might be some ways to do it. There is not any particular or accepted rule to do it, because it’s all inside our minds. It cannot show what the reality is. May be its depending on the facts around us. It is clear that this theory is considered as the default theory explaining the truth.

In its simplest meanings, it does it well but as we see, there many questions that are not answered by it. May be that is just because it is the first attempt of philosophy to know what the truth is? This gap might have been filled by the theories presented later. Well this is what the theory in its real form states about the truth. However there are some beliefs and theories that contradict and argue this correspondence theory of truth. Some of these beliefs are based on religious thoughts and concept.

They have their own explanation of truth. Such as the Hinduism reserves its own explanation to what is truth. At many points it resembles the western and catholic views of truth. It says that truth is not just a matter of epistemological inquiry or conformity of reason to reality but that is deeper, ontological significance; that each metaphysical question is a question of being, that is truth. It also says that human understanding and expression of truth can never be final and that there is always room for growth and improvement in human comprehension of truth.

It accepts that human life is a great blessing, as it makes possible the quest of truth, that freedom is vital for this quest. And that a certain detachment from the things of the world is a necessary condition to the exercise of spiritual freedom. Thus Hindu perspective of truth is stated in very vast terms and those close to human sense. In this regard, moving to another concept of truth, which is explained by Buddhist tradition, connects somehow with the correspondence theory. The relation is very weak between these two concepts.

Buddhist cultures, traditions and learning’s are very much related to and based on the teachings of Gautama i.e. the four Holy Truths. These four truths are the Holy Truths of suffering, truth of the conditioned arising of suffering, truth of ultimate freedom from suffering, and the truth of the path to ultimate freedom. These versions and types of truth, according to Buddhist belief explain the whole thing. It says that problem of a human lies in the misunderstanding the own self, and thus reacting in a wrong way to it.

It is definitely a religious belief and explains it all according the principles and teachings of Gautama. It is true that Hinduism and Buddhism share somehow a common ground. In past Buddhist and Brahmanism ideas acted and reacted in such complex interrelations that it is hard to say which has borrowed from other. Beliefs of these two related to truth have an impact on one another. Under my observation, both concepts stretch back to same grounds with their own modifications and changes. However both of these two conceptions do not relate much with the correspondence theory of truth itself.

Principles laid the main theory are very much scientific. It stated some equation of truth also. Whereas, if we come to the other two concepts, they both differ from it; well it’s obvious that these two theories or beliefs are related to religion while the correspondence theory of truth does contain that much essence of it. The theories explaining truth are in numbers telling the different conceptions of people or group of people from time to time. Some of them are completely logic based while others base on philosophical observations and statements laid by people.

Truth is still there. We don’t know whether it is explained by these theories or it’s still just indescribable. It’s the most difficult area of philosophy to be defined. There are other theories also laid after the correspondence theory of truth, which covers other areas of explaining the truth in its real means. Well it is clear that there is a prominent mismatch between the two religious aspects of truth i.e. Buddhist and Hindu, and the correspondence theory of truth. Work Cited Fumerton, Richard.

“Realism and the correspondence theory of truth”. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002. Print.