The theories of truth have so far been found to have common grounds in their assumptions that a proposition is true if it has some property or another. Many philosophers have been interested in researching the issues involving truth concepts. The theories of truth include the correspondence theory, deflation theory, pragmatic theory and the coherence theory. In many instances, it is difficult to determine what things are true or not true. The theories aim at explaining how to identify authentic aspects and those who are not true. In this study, the discussion aims at defining the various theories of truth.
The correspondence theory is the conventional approach to understanding the nature of truth and falsehood. The theory states that truth is anything that corresponds to the real things or reality. An idea that is in correspondence with reality is right while the otherwise is false. In theory, the reason some elements and aspects are regarded as true is that they are in communication with the facts about the world ( REMHOF, 2015 ). The coherence theory is the second in popularity and to the second most used theory of truth. According to the theory, a belief is true when it is possible to incorporate it in an orderly way and a logical manner into a big and technical system of belief. Also, it can be put under the theory that belief is true when it fits in with the set of all the other beliefs without creating a contradiction. Coherence theory is incapable of capturing the essential elements of how we conceive the truth in life ( Grim et al., 2017 ).
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The pragmatic theory of truth is known to determine whether a belief is true based on the associated useful pragmatic application. If the belief has the pragmatic, then it is true. Otherwise, it is false. Pragmatic truths are learned with an interaction with the world as truth is not to be discovered by sitting in a room without company and think about it. Among the problems associated with the truth is that it will be important for one to believe in a proposition, but also crucial for another to disbelieve ( McLeod, 2015 ). The pragmatic theory may be a better way of differentiating what is true from that which is not true. All the other theories have common grounds that a proposition true if it has some property or another. Deflation theory disagrees with the latter. Deflation theory states that the concept of truth pays off where we do not and cannot assert a proposition but we have to deal with an indirect reference to the proposition. The theory is said to appreciate the essential points regarding the concept of truth for an indirect reference ( Dodd, 2008 ).
From the discussion, one can find various ways of defining elements that are true and those that are not true. The different theories have specific common grounds that can help one differentiate truth from false. However, deflation theory is seen to contradict the common grounds of all the other truth theories. There are various definitions of truth, and the study has only mentioned a few. These mentioned are among the widely used theories in various applications. These findings and definitions by the different researchers can only be said to be closer to the truth and not the entire truth. Considering there are various reasoning in between the different theories, it can be said that the researchers aimed at achieving truth.
References
Dodd, J. (2008). An Identity Theory of Truth. Basingstoke [England]: Palgrave Macmillan.
Grim, P., Modell, A., Breslin, N., Mcnenny, J., Mondescu, I., Finnegan, K., & ... Fedder, A. (2017). Coherence And Correspondence In The Network Dynamics Of Belief Suites. Episteme (Cambridge University Press), 14(2), 233. doi:10.1017/epi.2016.7
McLeod, A. (2015). Theories of Truth in Chinese Philosophy: A Comparative Approach. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield International.
REMHOF, J. (2015). Correspondence, Coherence, or Pragmatist?. Journal Of Nietzsche Studies, 46(2), 229.
