Can't we just make the distinction between subjective and objective truth? i.e. subjective truths correspond to our perception of reality, whereas objective truth corresponds to our actual physical reality. I think if we make this distinction, both of your statements are true.

Psychological studies in perception seem to indicate that our experiences (and therefore develop our subjective truths) are derived from more than just physical stimuli. Optical illusions are a good example - in certain line illusions, 2 lines are presented of identical lengths but our mind perceives them as being different lengths. Even though the physical stimulus is showing 2 lines of identical length (objective reality), our subjective reality deviates from this. Somewhere during information processing, the brain receives the stimulus and alters it - interprets it to fit it's current paradigm - it's subjective reality. In this way novel information is assimilated.

Just as two people can experience the same event but report entirely different experiences (the age old "is the blue color I see, the same as the one you see?" question). Based on this, much of what we call "reality" is fabricated by the mind and isn't always necessarily an adequate indicator of physical reality.

• Re: Subjective/Objective Truth and False Sensory Information - alexander - March 7, 2001 - 18:25 UTC