Tok Essay.
To what extent is the truth different in mathematics, the arts and the ethics?
María Inés Zelaya Luque
Theory Of Knowledge Essay
Teacher: Lesa Raber
Date: Thursday 18 February 2010
Word Count: 1,588
Cadidate Number: 003741-011
The world “Truth” is more an adjective rather than a noun. There are true statements true evaluations and true reasoning but not a reality that can be called “The Truth”.
Therefore when we consider the question; to what extent is the truth different in mathematics, the arts and the ethics? We must reflect on the limits of “Trueness” and on our own individual limits to understand the truth in mathematics, arts and ethics. In my opinion mathematical truths are those accepted by the mathematicians. For example it was believed that all mathematical truths where able to be demonstrated. In 1931 Kurt Gödel a German mathematician demonstrated that this assumption was erroneous.[1] There are mathematical truths that cannot be proven, for example: the halting problem.[2] In the arts we have two kind of truths: the technical truths that are factual for example red and yellow will always result in orange or in a drama there must always be a conflict and a character, a plot and an outcome. On the other hand there are critical truths, for example evaluating a painting, a drama or a symphony. Ethical truths are related to obligations that we hold as human beings. There are certain basic principles of coexistence that are accepted by almost everyone for instance do not kill, do not steal. But other prohibitions are not so widely accepted, they depend more on culture, religion and personal believes.
The difference between the truths in mathematics, arts and ethics is not in the nature of the statements but in the way of validating the truth.
In mathematics conjectures are statements that haven’t been proven in a logical manner. There are thousands of speculations of
María Inés Zelaya Luque
Theory Of Knowledge Essay
Teacher: Lesa Raber
Date: Thursday 18 February 2010
Word Count: 1,588
Cadidate Number: 003741-011
The world “Truth” is more an adjective rather than a noun. There are true statements true evaluations and true reasoning but not a reality that can be called “The Truth”.
Therefore when we consider the question; to what extent is the truth different in mathematics, the arts and the ethics? We must reflect on the limits of “Trueness” and on our own individual limits to understand the truth in mathematics, arts and ethics. In my opinion mathematical truths are those accepted by the mathematicians. For example it was believed that all mathematical truths where able to be demonstrated. In 1931 Kurt Gödel a German mathematician demonstrated that this assumption was erroneous.[1] There are mathematical truths that cannot be proven, for example: the halting problem.[2] In the arts we have two kind of truths: the technical truths that are factual for example red and yellow will always result in orange or in a drama there must always be a conflict and a character, a plot and an outcome. On the other hand there are critical truths, for example evaluating a painting, a drama or a symphony. Ethical truths are related to obligations that we hold as human beings. There are certain basic principles of coexistence that are accepted by almost everyone for instance do not kill, do not steal. But other prohibitions are not so widely accepted, they depend more on culture, religion and personal believes.
The difference between the truths in mathematics, arts and ethics is not in the nature of the statements but in the way of validating the truth.
In mathematics conjectures are statements that haven’t been proven in a logical manner. There are thousands of speculations of