Theories of Truth

There appear to be two sides to the coin when determining 'what is truth?'. There is an objective school and a pragmatic school for truth. The objective school represents notions that are true independent of their value to the student. In the latter theory, a notion is true if its acceptance maintains a higher living standard than its dismissal or questioning by the student. The pragmatic truth is a subjective truth that is maintained by refusal to question its origins and dismissal of possible alternatives if desirable. For example, religious beliefs have a certain pragmatic truth to them, independent of their objective truth content --> e.g. Giordano Bruno, atheism-theism debates etc. Similarly, scientific paradigm shifts may also be somewhat resisted by scientists who have spent a lot of energy on a certain idea that is being undermined by a new, objective truth. This commitment on the scientists' behalf imparts a subjective, pragmatic property to them, hampering an objective investigation of their owner into their origins and possible alternatives. Therefore, considerable resistance can be expected to large paradigm shifts.