After watching the latest AI videos. I started questioning myself again about THE Truth.

I started questioning myself again about THE Truth.

A pillar of our current definition of truth is built on Descartes.
His concept of rationalism in a nutshell:

My senses play tricks on me. (Perception)
I shall doubt my senses
Until reason is universal, shared and leads to certainty. (Reason)

In reason science is king, the doubt methodology to achieve reason is made via traceability of data, replication, revues by recognized experts.

Let’s play a game shall we?

1 + 1 = 2 right?
That’s for sure 100% of the time! Reason! F Perception.

Wait a minute…

In Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid, Hofstadter brings in another mirror: formal logic.

Here we define our:
– Foundation of truth as formal rules in a model theory.
– Access to truth as something that might be unprovable.
– View on truth as being subject to interpretation.
– Limits are shown by Gödel incompleteness theorem, where some truth are unreachable inside the system.

– Self-reference is a central theme (rationalism sought to avoid it)
– Error Source is a structural limitations of our systems and self reference. (rationalism considers the error as a sensory illusion or a misuse of reason).

Let’s apply it to our 1 + 1 = 2, can you find an example where it is not true?

In his book Hofstadter challenges the rationalist dream of a complete system of truths, proving perfect logical systems are limited, and incomplete.
And that truth escapes the system and we need to use what he calls “strange loops” or analogical thinking.

Yes exactly what rationalists try to avoid.

But be mindful! Hofstadter extends rationalism, it does not abandon logic.
It shows that logic alone cannot enclose all truth.
There’s always a need to step outside the system to grasp what’s really true.

Why does it all matter?

I believe that we believe that our rationalism system means that everyone is logical and reasons perfectly. And in a way that’s true.
People thinking outside the scientific paradigm asserts themselves as logical, but in a different way, with a different understanding. (Not Epistemically equivalent I agree)

As we saw, the self-reference perception is a big thing. And I believe that AI will entice these “logical” differences.

I believe the truth paradigm is changing drastically.
I believe education must evolve not only for our youth but for everyone.
Education needs to provide the tools to everyone to cope with what is appearing online.

Because truth is no longer something we receive. It’s something we navigate.

We need new tools:
– To discern information,
– To recognize framing and manipulation,
– To cope with complexity without defaulting to blind belief.

So 1 + 1 = 2 all the time?

(This post is simplified)