Empirical Truth and Necessary Truth
Not what you're looking for?
Empirical truth is truth that is arrived at through my personal experience or someone else's experience. Empirical truth is acquired through the senses. Therefore we cannot say for sure that something is true unless we or another human has experienced that truth. If we can imagine the opposite of the truth then we say that truth is contingent. For example I know that my house is blue. I painted it last summer and I stand in my yard and look at my house and it is blue. But, I can imagine what it would look like if it were red. Therefore the fact that my house is blue is a contingent truth. (Solomon, p. 147-148)
Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary
This is a philosophical discussion. The first item discussed is the difference between empirical and necessary truth. The following discussion is about the self and different theories relating to the self. Essential self, self as body, consciousness and emotions is discussed. Over 650 words of original text with in text citations.
Solution Preview
Empirical truth is truth that is arrived at through my personal experience or someone else's experience. Empirical truth is acquired through the senses. Therefore we cannot say for sure that something is true unless we or another human has experienced that truth. If we can imagine the opposite of the truth then we say that truth is contingent. For example I know that my house is blue. I painted it last summer and I stand in my yard and look at my house and it is blue. But, I can imagine what it would look like if it were red. Therefore the fact that my house is blue is a contingent truth. (Solomon, p. 147-148)
Necessary truth is truth based on reason as opposed to experience. Necessary truths are true out of necessity. In other words we cannot even imagine what life would be like if the opposite were true. The example given in the book is 1 +1 +2. It is impossible to imagine a world where 1 + ...
Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy
Short quiz relating to Descartes
The World Health Organization
This quiz assesses the students knowledge about the World Health Organization. Although listed under “Philosophy” it is relevant to health care, political science, pre-med, and social scientist students as well.