Institut Teknologi Bandung

Professor Budi Hardiman discussed the prevailing dominance of factual truth or facts in contemporary society. Today, many individuals tend to equate truth with facts and evidence considered as scientific objectivity. These facts play a crucial role in various domains, including law, politics, and business, serving as a robust foundation for decision-making.

However, truth extends beyond factual truth. Other truths, such as those in religion, art, or subjectivity, possess their own ontological and epistemic values.

The lecture also delved into four contemporary schools of philosophy critiquing the concept of factual truth based on epistemology. These include The New Philosophy of Science pioneered by Kuhn, Feyerabend, and Rorty, Hermeneutic philosophy by Dilthey, Heidegger, and Gadamer, Poststructuralism philosophy by Foucault, and Critical Theory by Habermas. Each school presents different perspectives on the concept of factual truth.

Furthermore, the societal view of science and religion generates three distinct worlds: the objective world (facts), the subjective world (pertaining to one's experiential content), and the intersubjective world (related to normative accuracy). All forms of truth, including religious, artistic, and scientific truths, hold equal value and merit respect.

In an effort to illustrate this perspective, he employs the concept of "Horizons of Truth." The horizon serves as a metaphor reflecting the ever-expanding boundaries of human knowledge. Similar to the widening view when ascending a mountain, knowledge is in a constant state of expansion, with the ultimate limit of the horizon representing the real world.

Professor Budi Hardiman also introduced four theories of truth influencing human perspectives in modern science and philosophy. First, the theory of truth as coherence underscores the importance of internal consistency of a statement within a system. The theory of truth as correspondence posits that a statement is true if it aligns with objective reality. The third theory, truth as consensus, emphasizes that truth can be determined through mutual agreement in society. Finally, the theory of truth as usefulness (pragmatism) underscores the relevance of truth to human actions and the desired outcomes of the statement.

This public lecture provides insights into the realms of philosophy, science, and truth within the context of modern life, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a balance between different perspectives.

Reporter: Iko Sutrisko Prakasa Lay (Mathematics, 2021)

Editor: M. Naufal Hafizh

Translator: Anggi Nurdiani (Management, 2021)

Editor: Vera Citra Utami