All inquiry seeks the truth, though it is unlikely there is any such thing as the truth (Burgess and Burgess, 2011, p. 1). Equally, we find that truth is as elusive as time and space. We find most often that truth is driven by context, often believed to be based on facts which are inherently nebulous. Philosophers argue about truth and have done so since the beginning of time, and it is one of the largest subjects in philosophy (Glanzberg, 2025, SEP). Does truth even matter and does it possess value? Does absolute truth exist and in what context?
A witness testifying in a murder trial in any American courtroom will call out the defendant (who is pointed out by the prosecutor for the jury’s benefit) as the murderer. Ultimately the defendant is found guilty and then sentenced to execution at a date to be set by the corrections ministry. Several years pass and the same eyewitness comes forward and recants his testimony. A new trial is held over strong objections from the prosecution, and the defendant is found not guilty and released from prison with compensation by the state. Everything was correct when it was first tried, and everything was correct when tried in a second trial. Testimony in trials is rarely the final word and rarely true in a strict philosophical sense.
On 30 October 1938, the great actor and producer of his time – Orson Welles – produced a radio broadcast on his ‘Mercury Theatre on the Air’ for CBS radio based on a play by the English writer H. G. Wells – The War of the Worlds. Since then, the story has been the basis of three movies of the same name with varying quality. All were popular in their time, and many are still viewed by movie fans who enjoy thrillers. But the original broadcast came in late 1938 as World War II was beginning in the Pacific and in Europe. It set off a panic because thousands of listeners believed it was true. Princeton University researchers estimated that approximately six million people heard the broadcast and more than one million reacted strongly to it (Orwell, 2019, pp. 19-23). Those who panicked believed the broadcast was true, largely because the wireless had become the principal source of news and increasingly entertainment. Many listeners did not try to verify the broadcast and accepted it without question (Orwell, 2019, pp. 22-23). The overarching reason it was widely believed stems from the belief that the news media does not lie. And that is true today. The use of misinformation and disinformation globally is rampant. Apparently, the rest of the world believed it was the goofy Americans, and that too would be true today. If Americans are to be admired for anything, then it is their intractable goofiness.
‘Truth is the aim of belief; falsity is a fault. People need the truth about the world in order to thrive’ (Blackburn, 2023, Britannica).
Another perspective I find most satisfying in our inquiry comes from the French Existentialist Philosopher Albert Camus (1913-1960), who said: ‘A taste for truth at any cost is a passion which spares nothing’ (Socratic Method, 2024, Socratic-Method.com (accessed 21 September 2026). ‘In his profound quote, Albert Camus delves into the concept of truth and its relationship with passion. He asserts that those who possess a strong inclination for truth are willing to expend great effort and sacrifice whatever is necessary to attain it. The quote encapsulates the relentless pursuit of knowledge and the recognition that truth is not always easily obtained (Socratic Method, 2024, Socratic-Method.com (accessed 21 September 2026).
Reference list
Blackburn, Simon W. (2023) Truth. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/truth-philosophy-and-logic (accessed 1 September 2026).
Burgess, Alexis G. and Burgess, John P. (2011) Truth. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Glanzberg, Michael. (2025) Truth. The Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy (Fall 2025 Edition). Available at: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2025/entries/truth/ (accessed: 1 September 2026).
Orwell, George. (2019) Orwell on Truth. New York: Mariner Books.
The Socratic Method (2024) Albert Camus. Available at: http://socratic-method.com (assessed 21 September 2026).
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