True Scotsman
Objectivist
Truth is an attribute of identification. It is a product of our minds process of identifying and integrating the information brought to us by the senses. This is the process of reason. It is our only means of acquiring knowledge. It is a result of the relationship between our consciousness and existence or the subject of consciousness(observer) and the objects of consciousness(things we observe or consider). So the very first issue involved with truth is this relationship and its proper orientation. Without this relationship there is no such thing as truth. Since consciousness presupposes the answer to the question: consciousness of what?, existence is metaphysically primary. Consciousness is consciousness of something as opposed to nothing. A consciousness with nothing to be conscious of (no objects) is a contradiction in terms and would commit the fallacy of the stolen concept.
While our senses and perceptual level consciousness work automatically to bring us awareness of the things around us the conceptual faculty is not automatic. It is volitional in nature and so you must choose to reason. Truth is not some entity or substance out there that will "find you" and seep into you or press itself into your mind. Knowledge must be acquired by an active process and then validated by a process of logic. Logic is the art or skill of non-contradictory identification of the facts of reality. If an idea or concept corresponds to the facts of reality then it is true and if not not. This whole process is necessitated because reality is what it is independently of our conscious activity. Facts are facts whether we like it or not. It existence is not primary then there is no logic or truth or facts or knowledge or intelligible reality. Reality would be made up of contradictions. Things could be and not be at the same time and in the same respect or reality could be one thing for some and another for others.
You seem to be operating under the gravely mistaken notion that a worldview must hold that all consciousnesses enjoy metaphysical primacy over their objects in order to hold a primacy of consciousness metaphysics. This is why you alternately uphold and then deny the primacy of existence, contradicting yourself at every turn. That is not correct. If a worldview holds that only one consciousness enjoys primacy over its objects then it endorses metaphysical subjectivism. This is because reality can not have two contradictory natures. Reality can not both have primacy and not have primacy at the same time and in the same respect. This is the law of non-contradiction and it is a corollary to the axiom of identity. Hence to deny the soundness of premise one of my argument is to deny the axiom of identity which we already know would be an exercise in futility since you would have to identify what it is you are denying. You see how the axioms are invulnerable to attack.
Now notice what you said at the last of your post. "If you believe the truth can be found, then it will find you." Simply by an act of conscious will, by believing, you can acquire the truth. This is an explicit endorsement of metaphysical subjectivism or in other words the primacy of consciousness. So even in trying to answer my question in the way that you think you are avoiding endorsing subjectivism, and thus not contradicting the primacy of existence, you end up endorsing the primacy of consciousness. And the way you answered the question shows me that you do recognize the problem, so you are being disingenuous in your answer. Because it was a polar question requiring a yes or no answer. Because you don't hold your basic premises consciously you can't help but contradict yourself. That is why Objecitvism names these most basic principles explicitly and holds to them consistently in all branches of philosophy. To my knowledge it is the first philosophic system in the history of the world to do this. Thank you Ayn Rand.
If the religion you follow were not totally intellectually bankrupt on these issues then you would not be making so many basic blunders as you do. I'm happy to correct them because I love ideas and I think they are the most important things in the world.
You may think it arrogant of me to say this but it is true. I know what your basic premises are but you don't. That's because I have an understanding of fundamentals thanks to Objectivism. It took me 8 years to finally get it but now it's got.
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