Theoretical thinking exercises and applications

Theoretical Thinking

Truth is a concept that can be subjectively interpreted based on the individual's experiences and social realities. This is because truth is associated with an individual's continuous search for knowledge; thus, as an individual obtains knowledge in his/her experiences, s/he learns to discriminate information that may be considered as true or false for him/her. In effect, truth is defined as the any information or event experienced and encountered by the individual which corresponds with his/her reality (as s/he perceives it). Since truth corresponds with reality, sources of truth may come from anything that exists within the individual's "sphere of reality": these are people, non-living entities, institutions, and other elements of the society that the individual encounters in his/her society everyday.

Since truth is subject to various interpretations due to different social realities experienced by each individual in the society, there exists more than one truth. Truth is based on ideologies and philosophies that have been created and implemented by individuals and/or groups within society. For example, the philosophy of utilitarianism posits that an action is considered right and ultimately, the truth for the individual, if it benefits the majority of people in the society. Truth in this case is illustrated by the fact that the individual considers anything as the truth if it achieves the ultimate end of utilitarianism -- the happiness of majority of the people. Similarly, people who subsist to the conflict theory may view the truth as the continuous struggle of the lower classes of the society against the oppression of the wealthy elite. Thus, an individual oriented with the reality as viewed by the critical perspective may always consider his/her social experiences as a conflict of existing forces in society. These are some of the examples that illustrate the various "truths" that exist in societies/cultures.