Column Research
Truth: Takeaways
This is the longer column research stuff (only available here).
Column Research
Wed 25 Mar 2026 Edition
Takeaways
Stories: Science Philosophy Critical Thinking History Big Bang Metaphysics Evolution Biases Futurism Ancient History Ethics Reasoning
1 Essay + 6 Tidbits
1 Focus
The core concepts wrapped in about a 50 word or so takeaway.
This Week’s Idea
— Truth —
6 Takeaways
Weekly Crossroads
A few more minutes for core takeaways.
Wisdom emerges from the consistent exploration of the intersections of philosophy, science, critical thinking, and history.
1 Story of the Week »
Absolute Truth
The Idea of the Unknowable Dao
New Look
Remember absolute truth belongs to the material world as it is. Humans never hold it absolutely. You construct empirical and rational descriptions that align with reality or not, and then you believe each one with a degree of confidence. Each of your claims remains open to testing and revision. Even your strongest conclusions are provisional: true until disproven, not true beyond challenge.
2 Quote of the Week »
“The Dao that can be told is not the eternal Dao; The name that can be named is not the eternal name.”
- Laozi
- circa 550 BCE
The Unknowable Dao is the idea that our ideas about the material world are not the material world itself, but a reflection or description of it. Our ideas are always incomplete. Therefore, the material world is always unknowable. This is the “split” in my Idea of Ideas and Kant’s phenomena versus noumena.
3 Science »
Why do scientific models work if they aren’t literally true?
Scientific models are powerful because they organize important patterns, relationships, and variables in the world. They help us predict, explain, and navigate reality, even when they simplify it. Think well by using models with confidence, but also with humility. They are maps that improve over time, not final pictures of the territory.
4Philosophy »
Does Agrippa’s Trilemma Disprove the Idea of Ideas?
Agrippa argued that no belief can be finally justified. Every claim eventually runs into one of three traps: an infinite chain of reasons, a circular argument, or an unsupported assumption. Philosophers have wrestled with this for over two thousand years, and it still holds up, if, and only if, you’re talking about justification.
5Critical Thinking »
How do I know what is true and what is just an opinion?
Inductive reasoning finds patterns to predict future outcomes, while abductive reasoning makes the best guess based on available evidence. The Earth clearly revolves around the Sun, but hoofbeats outside might be horses or zebras. Abductive reasoning fills gaps by choosing the most likely explanation when certainty is unavailable. It’s useful—but it’s not proof. Opinions often lean on assumption without evidence. Good critical thinkers pause to ask whether a claim is truly supported by evidence.
6History!
Is Philo’s interpretation related to the split in the Idea of Ideas?
In TST terms, Philo’s work can be seen as layered interpretation: reality, then text, then ideas about the text. That makes him a useful historical example of the split between what is and how minds describe or interpret it.
Thanks for reading!
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