Outline of There are no absolute distinctions between what is true and what is false, Discuss this claim.

Main point

• This claim may be too objective.
• In my opinion, true means, “ when you prove it, it can apply to something and is factually correct and reasonable ” and false means “you cannot prove that is correct and it is not reasonable ”.

• Truth and false can also have different meaning in different areas of knowledge.
• Perception and emotion will affect what we think.
• “If we see something that does not “fit-in” with your overall experience of the world, then the chances are that you are mistaken”1
• On the other hand, there are some truths that we cannot be denied, for example Natural science and mathematics.

Body

• In Language for example in Chinese and English, when we are analysing the literary language used in ancient China, there is no specific or model answer to the questions, it is still correct if it is reasonable and can apply to it.
• Besides, one can believe something is true, and other person might believe the same thing to be actually false.
• In addiction we may also consider true and false in a culture or country may be different in any other. For example, in developing country, people would want their teenagers to learn hunting and farming, be a strong man or pretty women but no need to be educated, whereas developed country people want their child to be educated and knowledgeable, so that they can have a good future.
• We will use our common sense to see things, which lead to perception. For example long time ago, people believe that earth is in square shape whereas others think earth is round which stated by Christopher Columbus discovered the Earth was round when he set sail for Asia.2 
• Reason can be negatively affected by our emotions, and if you hold your beliefs with too much passion, this can prevent you being open-minded and lead to ‘my theory right or wrong’ kind of attitude.3
• Emotion is not rational because it affects our personal feeling and influencing our behavior.

• On the other hand, subjects like natural sciences and mathematics; truth and false is simply, plain and straightforward, not circumlocutory.
• Except simultaneous equation, there is a possible having more than one answer.

• For instance, in mathematics, the answer for two plus three obviously is five, there is no other answer is suitable for this equation, whereas two plus three equal to zero is clearly false and only five can proved the equation is correct, if the answer is three then the equation is completely wrong.
• In science, the answer has only one because scientist proves the theory that we learn and we apply the theory that we learn to answer the question.
• For example: “The first person to estimate the actual number of particles in a given amount of a substance was Josef Loschmidt, an Austrian high school teacher who later became a professor at the University of Vienna.”

        

Conclusion

• There are absolute distinctions between what is true and what is false in certain area of knowledge and it is clear and obvious. For example the one that I have mentioned, in mathematics and Natural Science.
• In addiction, true and false in a culture or country may be different in any other.
• Besides, ways of knowing can also affect the way we think what is true and false, for example perception and emotion. Perception will affect when we are deciding what is true and what is false when we are learning because of what our intuition tell us.
• We do not know what is true and what is false, there is no way for us to determine the difference between truth and false. Our thinking will affect by ways of knowing which is perception, language, reason and emotion. Hence this will affect our studying and the way we interpret the knowledge.
• As Emotion is not rational because it is an obstacle when we are searching knowledge.

Quote from philosopher:

• “All truths are half truths”, “There are no whole truths,” said philosopher Alfred North Whitehead
•  “The truth is rarely pure and never simply” Oscar Wilde.

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Reference:

1,3,4 Information from Theory of knowledge for the IB diploma by Richard van de Lagemaat

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