Photo source: Wikimedia Commons, NASA
What is a fact? I have two definitions:
1. A fact is something known with absolute certainty
2. A fact is something known with certaintyThe rest of this post is an explanation of each definition.
1. A fact is something known with absolute certainty
According to the first definition, anything that could be a hallucination or a dream is not a fact. For example, is it a fact that you're reading this sentence? No, because there's a chance you're actually asleep in a dream or that you're a brain in a vat experiencing a simulation.
Now imagine that you're actually a brain in a vat. What knowledge is still true in this hypothetical? Although this is probably not an exhaustive list, I can think of seven propositions that are still true in the brain in a vat hypothetical:
- I exist
- Consciousness exists
- Experience exists
- A sense exists
- A perception exists
- Reality exists
- Time exists
I believe that these seven propositions are necessary for any hallucination to happen. In this regard, even the most elaborate hallucination could not negate any of these propositions. For that reason, I believe that these seven propositions are absolute facts.
If the self didn't exist, there would be nobody to view the hallucination. If consciousness didn't exist, the hallucination wouldn't have been seen. If experience didn't exist, the hallucination wouldn't have been endured. If a senses didn't exist, there would be no way to access data about the hallucination. If a perception didn't exist, the hallucination wouldn't have been perceived. If reality didn't exist, there would be nothing. If time didn't exist, there would be no seconds to experience the hallucination.
I also believe that mathematical equations are not absolute facts. For example, take the question 8 + 6 = __. To demonstrate this question, you can take eight bananas and add six bananas and then count the total. The problem comes when you're counting. Even if you count the same total a thousand times in a row, there is still the chance that you miscounted every time. I believe this also applies if you imagine counting the bananas in your mind. Even if you used a calculator, the calculator could have messed up every time.
I also believe that logical conclusions are not absolute facts. Here is an example:
2. A fact is something known with certainty
According to the second definition, a 'fact' is something known with certainty, but does not require absolute certainty. For example, if you see a book on the windowsill, it's a 'fact' that the book is on the windowsill. The only chance that the book isn't there, would be if it's a hallucination. But in our daily lives, we regard this observation as a 'fact'.
We can also learn facts about reality such as statistics, names and general information. According to this definition, a piece of information should have a high degree of certainty to be regarded as a 'fact'.
I also believe that logical conclusions are not absolute facts. Here is an example:
- Every rabbit is purple
- John is a rabbit
- Therefore, John is purple
I do not regard this conclusion as an absolute fact. Imagine that you read the first premise and memorize it in your mind. Then you read the second premise while retaining your memory of the first premise. Now when you try to combine both premises, you might accidentally warp the memory of either premise leading to a mistake. Even if you perform this task hundreds of times, there is still a chance that the same mistake could be made every time.
2. A fact is something known with certainty
According to the second definition, a 'fact' is something known with certainty, but does not require absolute certainty. For example, if you see a book on the windowsill, it's a 'fact' that the book is on the windowsill. The only chance that the book isn't there, would be if it's a hallucination. But in our daily lives, we regard this observation as a 'fact'.
We can also learn facts about reality such as statistics, names and general information. According to this definition, a piece of information should have a high degree of certainty to be regarded as a 'fact'.
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
