Truth as Trophy: The Social Construction of Veracity

Abstract

The term “truth,” a human judgment, applies only to sentences or propositions uttered or written by a person, not the revelation of the universe itself or an extra-human authority. Sophist philosopher Gorgias, similarly, proposed that a judgment of truth consists of an award bestowed on propositions that have survived debate, account for phenomenal experience, and for which no one can propose a viable alternative, a view sustained by 20th Century neo-pragmatists. Disagreements about the truth of propositions may result from dissimilar assumptions regarding what serves as valid evidence and rationale. Criteria for “true vs. false” derive from the same assumptions that underlie moral or ethical judgments such as “good vs. bad” and “right vs. wrong,” expressed in the vocabulary people use to justify their beliefs and actions and construct a narrative defining their lives and identities. Constructivist developmental psychology describes evolving modes of identity and operating in the world that may help in understanding differing conceptions of truth.