Philosophical Methods: Dialectics, Phenomenology, and Truth

The Dialectic Method

This proposes a philosophical research procedure based on dialogue. A dialogue is a discussion between people holding different points of view. If the dialogue is fruitful, the differing points of view are overcome and a consensus is reached.

The difference between an ordinary dialogue and the dialectic method is that in an ordinary dialogue there are always two or more speakers, whereas in the dialectic method, opposing ideas can be put forward by one single thinker. This method has been used by many philosophers throughout history, most notably Plato, Hegel, and Marx.

The Phenomenological Method

Proposed by Husserl, this method aims to describe the sense that the world has for us. In knowing an object, we do not comprehend it as it is, nor do we constitute it as the object itself. The object is revealed to our consciousness and our consciousness understands it.

The Objective: Truth

First, we use the concept of truth in two different ways. In terms of reality, "truth" is synonymous with "authenticity" and antonymous with "appearances". In terms of knowledge, truth refers to statements and judgments, and is the opposite of falsehoods.

Criteria for Distinguishing Truth

Throughout history, various criteria have been used to distinguish truths from falsehoods:

• Empirical evidence: A statement is true if it can be corroborated by information obtained from sensory experience.
• Rational evidence: A statement is true if reason makes it impossible to doubt it.
• Coherence: Any statement should be considered to be true if it does not contradict other statements that have been previously accepted within a given system.
• Authority: Something is considered to be true if so stated by persons or institutions considered to be infallible or that have a greater knowledge than the rest.
• Consensus: Something is true if any educated, rational subjects accept it as such.
• Usefulness: If the result of putting a statement into practice, or applying what it affirms, is beneficial, the statement can be considered to be true.

Theories of Truth

Together with these criteria of truth, various theories of truth have been proposed:

• Theory of truth as correspondence: Truth is a special relationship that exists between reality and our thought, or how we express it through language. A statement is true when what it expresses corresponds to the reality it is referring to.
• Theory of truth as coherence: Truth, rather than in isolated statements, is found in a system. Therefore, for a statement to be true, it is necessary for it not to contradict other statements that have been previously accepted as true.
• Theory of truth as success: Something is true if it allows us to achieve success and false if it leads to failure. In other words, in order to evaluate the truth of a statement, we must examine the practical consequences that come from it.