Chapter 5: Absolute Truth
Study Questions
1. What does it mean to say of something that it is relative?
To say something is “relative” is to say that it varies from one person to another, or from
one society to another (or from one species to another.) To be more explicit, we
sometimes say a thing is “relative to an observer”, “relative to a society” and so on.
2. What does it mean to say something that it is absolute?
To say something is “absolute” is to say that it does not vary from one person to another
(or perhaps from one species to another etc.); it is constant
The definition of relative and absolute are the same except for the word not
3. What are Huemer’s two examples of something that is relative?
The first example Huemer gave was about someone in Paris knowing that it’s raining in
the city because they are there, however, someone in New York wouldn’t know that it is
raining in Paris, therefore making it “relative to an observer”
The second example was a homework example where it could be difficult for you but
easy for the professor to complete the same problems, thus saying that the difficulty of
the task is “relative to an individual”
, 4. What is relativism about truth, or “truth relativism”?
Truth relativism holds that truth is relative to an individual. That is, the same proposition
can be true for one person but not true for someone else. Absolutism holds that truth is
not relative: propositions are simply true or false, not true for a person.
5. What does Huemer say about “subjective” vs “objective” reality?
Subjective reality means that the world is dependent on observers. It depends on there
being some people (or other beings with minds) to be aware of it.
Objective reality is the opposite. Objective phenomena exist on their own, independent
of observers.
6. What is Huemer’s example of something that is subjective?
Huemer’s subjective example is the property of being funny. A plausible analysis is that
for a joke to be “funny,” it has to have the tendency to make ordinary humans who hear
the joke laugh or feel amused or something like that. Funniness isn’t an intrinsic
property of funny things; it is in the ear of the observer. The funniest just consists of the
tendency to provoke amusement in us.
Study Questions
1. What does it mean to say of something that it is relative?
To say something is “relative” is to say that it varies from one person to another, or from
one society to another (or from one species to another.) To be more explicit, we
sometimes say a thing is “relative to an observer”, “relative to a society” and so on.
2. What does it mean to say something that it is absolute?
To say something is “absolute” is to say that it does not vary from one person to another
(or perhaps from one species to another etc.); it is constant
The definition of relative and absolute are the same except for the word not
3. What are Huemer’s two examples of something that is relative?
The first example Huemer gave was about someone in Paris knowing that it’s raining in
the city because they are there, however, someone in New York wouldn’t know that it is
raining in Paris, therefore making it “relative to an observer”
The second example was a homework example where it could be difficult for you but
easy for the professor to complete the same problems, thus saying that the difficulty of
the task is “relative to an individual”
, 4. What is relativism about truth, or “truth relativism”?
Truth relativism holds that truth is relative to an individual. That is, the same proposition
can be true for one person but not true for someone else. Absolutism holds that truth is
not relative: propositions are simply true or false, not true for a person.
5. What does Huemer say about “subjective” vs “objective” reality?
Subjective reality means that the world is dependent on observers. It depends on there
being some people (or other beings with minds) to be aware of it.
Objective reality is the opposite. Objective phenomena exist on their own, independent
of observers.
6. What is Huemer’s example of something that is subjective?
Huemer’s subjective example is the property of being funny. A plausible analysis is that
for a joke to be “funny,” it has to have the tendency to make ordinary humans who hear
the joke laugh or feel amused or something like that. Funniness isn’t an intrinsic
property of funny things; it is in the ear of the observer. The funniest just consists of the
tendency to provoke amusement in us.
