A question for those who believe truth is not absolute

[robvalue]

I don't know. I wasn't defining truth in particular.

My second statement should be prefaced by, "It appears to me that..." I'm not in the business of handing out claims of absolute truth myself, so you can assume this preamble before most things I say.

Just as science doesn't handle absolute certainty, statements of absolute truth are probably best avoided outside of abstract systems.

[Aoi Magi]

With our current level of knowledge no sane person should make any claims about any "absolute" things.

[LostLocke]

Wanna-be philosopher: Is it the absolute truth that truth is relative?
Me: Blueberries!
Wanna-be philosopher: What?
Me: Exactly! *mic drop*

[Jenny A]

To those where who believe truth is relative:

When someone throws at you the question "Is it the absolute truth that truth is relative?", how do you respond to that? I have read some attempts on other sites but they seem too complicated for me to understand their point. So explain to me like I'm five, what is unreasonable about the question itself?

Yes and no depending on what you mean by absolute truth. Speed and time are relative to your vantage point, but the speed and time from your vantage point are absolute. How sure we are of the absolute truth of empirical claims is probabalistic not absolute but that doesn't stop the truth from being absolute. Only truths based solely on definitions like all triangles have three sides are not only absolute, but absolutely known. Some truths, like moral or esthetic truths are always relative.

[Ignorant]

To those where who believe truth is relative:

When someone throws at you the question "Is it the absolute truth that truth is relative?", how do you respond to that? I have read some attempts on other sites but they seem too complicated for me to understand their point. So explain to me like I'm five, what is unreasonable about the question itself?

To what is truth relative?

[ignoramus]

Relative to one another's notion of what is true.

[Whateverist]

It's probably safe to knock out the word absolute or objective from any sentence.
Since we can't prove we're not brains in vats or in a sim, even the words absolute or objective are relative.

What about when we want to express irrational exuberance or persuade someone?

[ignoramus]

Then you absolutely can!

There's a sucker born every minute.

[Blueyedlion]

This one's easy -

We know from the scientific evidence so far, that no one person can have a dual experience or awareness of two people, everyone is limited to their own observations. So any 'truth' can only be known from you.

You can draw from the collective awareness of others that you are witness to, to know the other people outside of you having their own unique experience completely removed from you. And so we know that you're truth is one part and apart of their truth. A jigsaw of a larger picture.

There is nothing absolute, for you are not absolute. You are ever changing in your growth of awareness as is all else changing in their growth external of you. As the universe in every moment changes in experience and awareness through you and others, it is in different perspectives, observations, discovering new facts and truths about itself uniquely to those eyes that are witnessing.

And so, one may say it is a fact that everyone is a contributor of their own truth to a larger truth, that is of itself unknowable. All one can then say, is since change is the only constant measurable by you, nothing else can be known but the assurance of that change.

Are you absolute? Well, you simply 'are' For to ask 'who are you?' the only answer you can give is 'i am' If you want add - i am this or that is to define yourself in some way a part of the universe at a given time or place or experience, but as soon as you try to define yourself at any particular moment, as soon as you do, that moment is lost in the history of that moment of experience. So defining you as the circumstance of you, is defining an illusion of who you are. You are neither absolute in beginning or ending, you just are.

[ignoramus]

Shit! That made sense!