Fact vs Truth (or fiction)

Some illustrations of the word fact –

Often considered to mean exactly the same as the word truth.


Perhaps more accurately described when you consider that a judge can be termed a ‘trier of fact’ – he hears the presented evidence and facts relating to a matter and is responsible to decide the ‘ultimate fact’

i.e. to answer the question “Was John negligent?” the judge must consider that John lost control of the car he was driving. Both of these points are established facts – It was Johns car and he was driving it. Whilst John obviously has responsibility, at this point it can not be determined that John was negligent, and so the ultimate fact based solely on these established facts would be that John was not negligent. If however it were also established fact that John were speeding, drunk & driving on the wrong side of the road then the determination of the ultimate fact would surely be that yes, John was negligent. Without the benefit of these additional established facts the original ultimate fact would clearly be wrong, but even if that were the case it would still have been established fact.


Fact, law, science and truth are all inseparably related, but completely unique to each other.

Science has its origin as the study of truth – mans attempt to understand the created order by studying it.

Law also has it’s origin in this same created order – the observance of a specific response to an action, first by the specification of attitudes, beliefs and actions that were unacceptable, and after that - through observance, the specification of correct prescribed responses for those who were found to have been in breach.

Later the focus was shifted from avoiding the bad to doing what is good and right, since clearly nothing can be on both sides of the fence at once – something ‘on the fence’ is still partly on the wrong side, an affirmative decision to do what is right is a pre-requisite to doing what is right, with the right attitude and for the right reason. Once the decision to be on the right side of the fence is made the battle is already won, even if the result of that is yet to be effected.

Fact on the other hand is really only what is held to be the truth, or correct and comes out of both science and law. In both science and law, anything that has been substantiated or accepted is considered to be fact. This requires that it must at the least appear to be in agreement with the truth. For example two people telling the same believable story may seem to the listener to be telling the truth, and their story therefore accepted as fact, whilst another different story - disregarded because of an apparent lack of available evidence to support it, may actually be truth.

Also consider ‘What goes up must come down. This fact in its simplicity is true - unless as man has discovered, you put enough force behind the up – anything you toss in the air will always come back down and with only this limited perspective the fact still remains unchallenged. It’s not until we are in view of the bigger picture that we really get to understand the truth of things. It is because of this one simple truth I am absolutely certain that our best understanding in every matter - both as individuals and for mankind as a whole, is still to come. It will be discovered by those working earnestly to discover it, wanting to get a correct view of the bigger picture and certainly a thing will never be understood before it is in fact discovered. Can a man really understand night and day before he first realises after the time of dark there follows after it light? Maybe then a man can realise that in fact darkness is not just the absence of light, but that darkness is driven out by it. One could answer any question of 'why?' with the same simple response – ‘Because God made or permitted it to be that way.’, but that simple answer is hardly enough to satisfy our hungry, inquisitive minds for very long, is it?


Further definitions of the word ‘fact’ here
http://www.answers.com/topic/fact

 

Comments, feedback, critique, agree, disagree - Anyone?