What is Truth?

In the movie “A Few Good Men” rookie lawyers played by Tom Cruise and Demi Moore are locked in a legal battle with a harsh and feared Colonel played by Jack Nicholson. In their attempt to discover the truth about whether a crime and cover-up has been committed, they find it difficult to determine what really happened. Those involved are not forthcoming with truthful information. Even as the lawyers connect the dots about what went on, the crux of the matter is voiced by Tom Cruise’s character. In an emotional outbreak he shouts: “It doesn’t matter what I believe, it only matters what I can prove.”

The movie illustrates a fundamental question: Can we know truth? How do we verify that something is true or not?

Popular belief suggests that truth is endlessly philosophical and mysterious, but actually, truth is very obvious and simple to understand. This is easy to demonstrate. When someone says: “My car is white,” we know exactly how to determine whether or not this statement is true. We inspect the car. If the person’s car is white, then the statement accurately reflects the reality it refers to and is judged true.

Sure, truth is not always directly verifiable, but truth is routinely encountered when ideas are confronted with actual reality.

It is not true that we can fly off a barn roof if we flap our arms like a bird. Children learn this truth early on, which shows how important it is to learn and know truth in order to survive and flourish, and how serious it is to be lied to.

Another popular position is stated as, “True for me,” as if our belief about something changes reality. The law of gravity, for instance, is a reality, whether we believe in it or not.

Why is asking, “What is truth” so important? Dallas Willard, who was professor at the University of Southern California’s School of Philosophy until his death in 2013 states:

Truth is a gift God instilled into creation so that we can properly engage reality. In this way truth is like aiming a rifle. If our aim is right, or true, then we are able to hit the target. Likewise, if our ideas and beliefs are true, we are empowered to engage with the reality of our lives. Unbelief in truth encourages both hopelessness and arrogance.

In the movie mentioned above, the Colonel eventually gives in to the provocation of the lawyers and states in an angry outburst: “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!” A powerful question and statement.

Once we know the truth, we are bound to act on it.