On science, objective truth & layers of imagination

[DaHonorableCourt]

My thought on objective truth:

When applying the fundamental axioms we can find in our experience, for example Newtonian physics, we can then establish “objective” truth based on that axiom. The axioms are imagined by Consciousness, but at the most fundamental layers we can observe. That is the definition on an axiom; the most fundamental basis of truth we can find. The laws of physics and an apple are both imaginary, but the laws of physics at a much deeper level. The more fundamental we can create our axioms, the more objective our truth becomes.

This “objectiveness” is ultimately untenable, because it is impossible to prove an axiom right. There is no proof of the fact that tomorrow the laws of physics will be the same as today. Yet we can call it objective nonetheless, because of the extreme consistency in our experience, as long as we respect the fact that these objective truths are grounded in ungroundable axioms. So in the ultimate sense, there are only relative truths.

However, don’t denounce these relative truths as “unreal”. Consciousness has imagined their consistency to make them true.

Also the axioms always seem to be limited, because they can never account for the whole of reality.(Gödel’s incompleteness theorem) This is exactly what we observed with Newtonian physics; it seemed like the ultimate physics, until anomalies were discovered, when looking at subatomic particles for example (double slit experiment). This asked for a new axiomatic system which we call quantum physics. And of course quantum physics will also not account for the whole of reality, yet it sits at deeper imaginary layer than Newtonian physics. Even though the whole of physics only accounts for an infinitesimal part of reality, this tiny part can still be gargantuan. Hence is the nature of infinity.

This is also the way that science evolves. Axiomatic systems are built up, until anomalies arise. These anomalies are first overlooked, until they become so apparent that they can’t be taken for granted anymore. This in turn asks for a new axiomatic system/paradigm, aka a scientific revolution, which is able to explain the anomalies. The power of science increases, and the cycle continues. Of course this goes on for infinity, so you can never find Truth with a capital T using science. But thats why we have spirituality

Don’t just take my or other people’s word for it. Do your own epistemological inquiry if you want to know how you define truth.

Edited May 25, 2020 by DaHonorableCourt