(1) Absolute, Relativity and Objectivity of Truth
1? What is truth?
Truth is a philosophical category that marks the consistency between subjective and objective, and it is a correct understanding of objective things and their laws. Truth has three basic characteristics, namely objectivity, absoluteness and relativity. Sometimes it is directly called objective truth, absolute truth and relative truth.
2? Objectivity of truth
The objectivity of truth, also known as objective truth, refers to the objective content that is not transferred by people and their will. The objectivity of truth has two meanings: first, the content of truth is objective; Second, the criterion for testing truth, that is, practice, is also objective.
3? Absolute truth or absolute truth
Absolute truth is the absoluteness of truth, which has two meanings:
(1) Any truth is a sign of the combination of subjective and objective, which contains objective contents independent of people and their will, and is absolute and unconditional. In this sense, to admit objective truth is to admit absolute truth.
(2) In essence, human understanding can correctly understand the infinitely developing material world, and every step forward is approaching the infinitely developing world, which is also absolute and unconditional. In this sense, recognizing the knowability of the world and that people can correctly understand the infinite material world also recognizes the absolute truth.
4? Relativity of truth or relative truth
Relative truth is the relativity of truth, which means that people's correct understanding of objective process and its development law is always limited and incomplete under certain conditions.
(1) From the whole objective world, people's understanding is only a correct understanding of a certain field and aspect of the material world and its attributes, so it is conditional and relative.
(2) Any knowledge of truth is only an approximate correct reflection of the object to a certain extent and level, so it is relative.
5? Dialectical relationship between absolute truth and relative truth
(1) Absolute truth and relative truth are opposites. Absolute truth means that truth contains objective contents that do not depend on people and people's will, while relativity of truth means that truth is the reflection of objective things under certain conditions and has limitations. They are actually two different attributes of truth and two different aspects of people's understanding of truth. They are different.
(2) Absolute truth and relative truth are dialectical unity. First, absolute truth and relative truth permeate and contain each other. On the one hand, relativity is absolute, and any relative truth contains particles of absolute truth; On the other hand, there is relativity in absolutes, which is an integral part of absolutes, and the sum of countless relative truths constitutes absolute truth. Second, relative truth and absolute truth are mutually transformed. Truth is a process, a process from relative truth to absolute truth and close to absolute truth. Any understanding of truth is a link in the process of transforming relative truth into absolute truth.
6? Truth is concrete (examined in analysis question 34 in 2006)
(1) Truth is not abstract. Any truth is both an objective truth and a concrete unity of absolute truth and relative truth.
(2) Truth is conditional. Any truth has its specific object, scope and conditions. If we go beyond this specific provision, truth will become fallacy.
(3) Truth is a process. Truth is regarded as an endless approach from subject to object and from subjective to objective, rather than a static state that will never change once it is reached.
(2) Practice is the only criterion for testing truth.
Dialectical materialism holds that only practice is the only criterion for testing truth. The reason why practice is the only criterion for testing truth is determined by the characteristics of practice and the essence of truth.
1? The essence of truth determines that only practice can test truth. Truth is a category that marks the consistency between subjective and objective. Therefore, it is impossible to judge whether and to what extent the subjective and objective are consistent, and it is impossible to be only within the scope of the objective world. To prove the consistency of subjectivity and objectivity, the only criterion for truth is practice.
2? The characteristics of practice determine that only practice can be the criterion for testing truth. Practice is an objective material activity that people transform the world, and it is a subjective and objective thing. On the one hand, practice is related to subjectivity, on the other hand, it is related to the objective world. People practice with a certain theoretical point of view, which leads to a certain objective effect, and makes the original theoretical understanding compare with the objective reality, thus directly testing the authenticity of the theory. It can be seen that practice has dual direct reality, not only it is direct reality in itself, but also it can make theory become reality, which makes it a standard for testing truth. In a word, only practice can connect and compare the subjective with the objective, and only practice can have a direct and real character, so practice becomes the only criterion for testing and understanding the truth.