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Is truth a word we use only to affirm a statement, or is it also something more? In Finding and Confirming Truth, John S. Pletz explains that truth is more than mere affirmation. It also is the conclusion reached when we have effectively confirmed that an assertion accurately depicts the facts that it describes. Following a delineation of the major types of inferences used in confirming the truth of statements and the justifications for each of them, Pletz discusses the process used in identifying and verifying factual truth. That process includes the critical step of assessing the degree of certainty we have in a confirmed assertion, which the author contends must be ascertained before we should conclude that any statement is true. Finally, Pletz employs this confirmation framework and process in seeking the truth of the concept of truth itself.
PART I THE CONFIRMATION OF TRUTH 1
1 Is Confirmation Necessary? 3
2 The Means for Finding and Confirming Truth 8
1 Present Perception 10
2 Memory 12
3 Reason 13
4 Intuition 19
5 External Authority 21
6 Faith 22
7 Intention 23
3 Confirming the Means 27
1 Present Perception 27
2 Memory 30
3 Reason 31
4 Intuition 41
5 External Authority 42
6 Faith 44
7 Intention 45
4 Confirmation and Certainty 50
1 The Accessibility of Absolute Certainty 50
2 Degrees of Certainty and Assurance 62
3 The Certainty Needed for the Confirmation of Truth 65
PART II THE PROCESS OF FINDING AND CONFIRMING TRUTH 69
5 The Steps Involved in Finding and Confirming Truth 73
1 Adopting an Attitude Conducive to the Search for Truth 73
2 Framing the Assertion To Be Considered 73
3 Identifying the Type of Assertion Which Is Being Considered 74
4 Selecting the Appropriate Types of Confirmation to Be Used 74
5 Applying the Appropriate Types of Confirmation 82
6 Weighing the Evidence to Determine Whether the Assertion has Been Confirmed 92
7 Determining the Degree of Certainty to Ascribe to a Confirmed Assertion 94
8 Drawing a Conclusion about the Truth of the Assertion 95
9 Keeping an Open Mind for Future Evidence That May Later Have an Impact on That Truth Conclusion 95
PART III SO, WHAT IS TRUTH? 97
6 The Basic Definition of "Truth" 99
7 Using the Concept of Truth 126
Index 131
Overview
Is truth a word we use only to affirm a statement, or is it also something more? In Finding and Confirming Truth, John S. Pletz explains that truth is more than mere affirmation. It also is the conclusion reached when we have effectively confirmed that an assertion accurately depicts the facts that it describes. Following a delineation of the major types of inferences used in confirming the truth of statements and the justifications for each of them, Pletz discusses the process used in identifying and verifying ...