Is there an absolute truth?

This was the first question we pondered upon today in my Argumentation & Debate class.

The discussion was good though a bit stale, as most ideas put forward were a re-hash of what my other classmate has already said; that truth is not absolute, rather it is relative.

The opposite side was taken up by the first one who braved to answer the question, according to him, and I’m culling all this from my half-life memory,

truth is absolute because it depends on morals and norms of society.

A very good and poignant answer indeed as commented on by our brilliant instructor. However, like the most of my other classmates who reasoned to the contrary, I beg to differ.

Allow me to share here, what I did not in class earlier this morning. Taking a closer look at what my classmate has said, there’s an inherent flaw. Norms and morals in a society change over time. Since truth, according to him, is dependent on the two that change over time, then it too must change over time, making it relative and not absolute.

Joey Ayala, in his song “Magkabilaan” puts it succintly;

“Ang katotohanan ay may dalawang mukha.
Ang tama sa iyo ay mali sa tingin ng iba.
….
Magkabilaan ang mundo.
Magkabilaan ang mundo.
Magkabilaan ang mundo.”

Of course, this is my stand. What is yours? Is there really an absolute truth?

Tagged as: College life, Philosophy