Criteria for Truth

Truth

Truth (Skt. सत्य, Satya) is a categorisation of experiences on the basis of chosen criteria.

The categories are:

True
False

When an experience satisfies the chosen criteria, it is categorised as true, and vice versa.

Other terms for these categories are : Real and Unreal or Fact and Lie etc.

This process of categorisation occurs in memory, specifically in the layer of intellect.

The ability to classify in this way is very natural, it happens automatically, but in a haphazard manner. A person is usually not naturally pre-equipped to do such a categorisation, it is an ability that must be learnt. However, some form of this ability is found in babies and higher animals too.

Necessity

Why categorise the experiences into true and false?

One quickly learns that acting on certain conclusions derived out of experiences leads to favourable results. Such as more food, more mates, defence, pleasure etc. Actions based on these conclusions about the experiences lead to survival and continuation of life. Those conclusions can be collectively named as truth. So actions based on truth ensure positive outcome in some form. Actions based on falsity lead to negative outcome.

When we find more certainty, we label it as true. More certain we are about our conclusions, better are the actions that we take.

Actions based on specific experiences and conclusions (classified as true) are more certain, more confident and more predictable.

The action is decided by the person, based on his truths. More important the action is, tighter is the criterion for truth, more care is taken to conclude something.

When is the is no need to act or decide, the matter of truth is moot.

The Criteria

The criteria are subjective and arbitrary.

A person can choose any criteria to categories the experiences into true or false. There is no natural law about it. The categories depend on their experience with it, on convenience and utility. Different people have different criteria, and even a complete country or culture can adopt a set of criterion, depending on its nature and needs.

The criteria also depends on many other factors. Such as intelligence, biases or indoctrination of the person. A lunatic has a different criterion to call something as true compared to a philosopher, for example. Truth is one way for a religious person and it is totally different for a scientist, as another example.

Rule of Truth

That which is true for one person or in one situation can be false for the other person or in another situation.

Kinds of Criteria

Surely, the truth depends on the criteria used to arrive at it. So these are very important. Unfortunately they are overlooked in any decent or indecent conversation about what is true and what is not. It is absolutely necessary for a seeker to know the criteria behind a the so called truth.

Depending on the results, we can immediately see that there can be two kinds of criterion.

Inferior
Superior

Inferior criteria

These often lead to negative outcomes. They confuse, misguide and cause damage. Actions based on these are uncertain and random.

Words of Parents, friends, people, society, authority etc.

Books

Democratic beliefs

Ancient beliefs

Imagination or delusion

Desire for something to be true.

Rumours

Media

Leaders

These are a few examples, there can be many more.

Superior criteria

These often lead to positive outcome. We can be more certain and confident about actions based on them.

Experience

Logic

Consistency

Repeatability

Reliability

Objectivity

Non-dependency on time and place

Immutability

Rule of Criteria

Stricter criteria lead to more certainty.