Science and Truth: Exploring Theories and Perspectives in Philosophy

This essay delves into the multifaceted relationship between science and truth, a topic of ongoing debate in philosophy. It explores various theories of truth, including the correspondence theory, coherence theory, and conceptual relativism. The essay further examines pragmatism and instrumentalism, particularly in the context of scientific methods, and how they relate to the concept of truth. The impact of quantum mechanics and the contrasting views of Einstein and Bohr on the understanding of truth in science are also discussed. The author concludes by highlighting the complexities and challenges in defining truth, acknowledging the diverse perspectives and the ongoing evolution of this philosophical concept. The essay provides a comprehensive overview of the key concepts and debates surrounding science and truth.

Running head: SCIENCE AND TRUTH
SCIENCE AND TRUTH
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1
SCIENCE AND TRUTH
The question of science related to truth has always been a debatable question and this
debate started hundreds of years ago. It should be noted that while science is a very powerful
way of understanding the world around us it does not tell the exact truth. Therefore the
primary aim of the essay is to discuss about science as well as truth.
According to the theory of truth statements are true only if only when they are
accurately reported to the concerned person in its actual state of affairs without any
manipulation of incidents. The theory of truth is further related to reality that is truth should
be evident and nit abstract (Dodd, 2016). On the other hand scientific realism states truth as
something in which the reality is described accurately. The latter utilizes one of the versions
of the correspondence of the theory of truth. Furthermore the coherence of truth states that the
idea or a statement is true when it is ready to fit or merge with other ideas as well as
statements. It differs from its competitor known as the correspondence theory of truth. The
coherence theory of truth defines truth as a property of propositions. It believes in
consistency (Lee, 2017). On the other hand the article also focuses on conceptual relativism
which is a delineated form of relativism where the ontology or the existence of something
instead of ethical as well as epistemic norms is said to be relativized to the conceptual
schemes, paradigms that are scientific as well as categorical frameworks (Sankey, 2018).
According to the above theory there are many cultures in the world and all the cultures view
the world in a different way.
Pragmatism on the other hand claims that beliefs that are useful or have some
practical application are true. When pragmatism is studied under scientific methods then it is
most commonly associated with that aspect of science that is known as instrumentalism. The
pragmatic theory of truth further supports that if the proposition is true then is will be helpful
to believe (Russill, 2016). It shows a connection between truth as well as epistemic practices.
Instrumentalism on the other hand believes that scientific theories are tools or instruments

2
SCIENCE AND TRUTH
and the theory helps an individual to predict successfully (Russill, 2016). Thus, as stated by
instrumentalism, scientific theories are not aimed at delivering truth about an independent
reality instead it aims at having some reliability. Quantum mechanics had challenged the
theory of truth during its emergence as it brought with it small atomic as well as subatomic
particles. It also brought lasers along with electricity as well as atomic energy that challenged
the theory of truth (Lewis, 2016). Even Bohr challenged Einstein’s realist views. Bohr was an
instrumentalist who thought quantum mechanics to be a calculating tool and not just a picture
or mere representation of inner secrets. Einstein’s realism concept showed that science was
capable of penetrating to the hidden level of reality (Skibba, 2018). According to him Bohr’s
instrumentalism had a negative effect on the knowledge of science. According to theorists
Truth with capital T was not really a truth but a mistake. The small ‘t’ was more close to the
truths that are perceived by humans.
Therefore to conclude it is still difficult to arrive at a definite meaning of truth.
Theorists have tried different ways to explain its concepts but the concept has become more
complicated with time.

3
SCIENCE AND TRUTH
References
Dodd, J. (2016). An identity theory of truth. Springer.
Lee, B. D. (2017). The truth-conduciveness problem of coherentism and a sellarsian
explanatory coherence theory. International Journal of Philosophical Studies, 25(1),
63-79.
Lewis, P. J. (2016). Quantum ontology: A guide to the metaphysics of quantum mechanics.
Oxford University Press.
Russill, C. (2016). Pragmatism. The International Encyclopedia of Communication Theory
and Philosophy, 1-13.
Sankey, H. (2018). Rationality, relativism and incommensurability. Routledge.
Skibba, R. (2018). Einstein, Bohr and the war over quantum theory. Nature, 555(7698).