Craig -- Referring to my statement "Truth is relative to the individual," you ask:
But on your view not relative to a particular individual, is that correct?
By "individual" here I mean proprietary cognizance. Since I define the individual as 'value-sensibility', one's awareness of the world is an objective representation of his particular values. Therefore, each person's "truth" is relative to his unique value orientation or preferences. Objective truth is always relational, not only to the individual observer but also with respect to the properties and dynamics of experiential existence as a cogent system.
This epistemology, incidentally, is not solipsism. We all know that 2 + 2 = 4 is truth, and that the sum of the angles of a triangle equates to a straight line, and that a thing either exists or does not. "Universal truths" such as mathematics and logic are also derived from essential value and help shape our reality, although we may not be intellectually aware (conscious) of all universal principles as truths or knowledge.
Finally, the truth about ultimate reality (Essence) is not bound by the relationships of finitude, thus cannot be known by finite agents. That's why metaphysics is theoretical and speculative. It's also why human beings are "free to choose" what they accept as true or false, including the "existence" of God or a primary source. That truth, like value, is relative to the cognizant subject affords us the autonomy necessary for intellectual and valuistic freedom.
I hope I correctly anticipated some of the questions this epistemology was bound to raise. But I'll be happy to deal with others if you wish.
Thanks for your interest, Craig. Essentially yours, Ham Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
