Two Definitions For “Absolute Truths”
A pragmatic one and a platonic one, and why I prefer the pragmatic one.
Empiricism versus Rationalism
Long ago, it made sense to divide knowledge into (1) empirical or sensory knowledge and (2) purely rational or deductive knowledge. However, some philosophers, especially modern ones, tried to overcome this distinction. Stuart Mill, Locke, and Nietzsche tried to reduce all knowledge to sensory experience. Mill claimed that it was possible to find an empirical correspondence for every mathematical formulation. Nietzsche considered reasoning a delusion of grandeur, which led him to invert the saying “fiat veritas, pereat vita” (let truth be made, let life perish). For Nietzsche, life continues, but knowledge may perish.
But the empiricists failed to recognize the enduring tensions between rational formulations and reality. What is a mathematical fact, or a logical fact? How can we describe definitely the relation between reason and reality?
