Preface

[this is an excerpt from my book The Impossibility of Truth: A Treatise on Anti-Logic]

“Es gibt keine Tatsachen, nur Interpretationen.” (There are no facts, only interpretations) – Friedrich Nietzsche, Notebooks, Summer 1886 to Fall 1887.

Does truth exist?

To many, the answer to that question would be in the form of a three-letter, monosyllabic word: yes. Yet by saying “yes”, one presupposes that “yes” (which is an affirmation of truth) has any meaning at all, and a meaning that can only exist if truth exists. If one proceeds to then choose “no” as a response so that the circular reasoning can be avoided, they are met with the same problem, because “no” is simply the negation of “yes” and therefore, it presupposes that “yes” exists in some way or another. Unsure of how to respond binarily, one might attempt in responding with a third option beyond “yes” and “no”. However, that would not be possible, as the question of truth is binary in such a way that a third option would dismiss the concept of truth entirely, in which case, truth is rendered non-existent, and the answer reverts to “no”. From this, it appears that truth is presupposed in all objects of reality as its very existence cannot be questioned, and thus, two ideas become clear:

1. Whether truth exists or not becomes a question of utmost significance, since the answer to it would potentially shift our understanding of reality.

2. The question of whether truth exists or not cannot be answered through a direct response to the question, or else the response becomes paradoxical. Hence, this treatise takes an investigative approach into the very question of “does truth exist?” and will arrive at the conclusion that truth is impossible.

This investigative approach will begin by vivisecting the concepts of “truth” and “impossibility”, then considering their relation. After the concepts are clarified, two paradoxes which follow from the case that “truth is impossible” is valid will be examined and resolved. Subsequently, the proof that “truth is impossible” will begin, and this will be in the form of a proof by cases – where the impossibility of truth is demonstrated in truths existing both empirically and rationally (which will later be affirmed as the only two types of truth). Since all logic is ultimately just the determination of how true ideas are, and truth will have just been shown to be impossible, this means that logic would also be impossible, so the concept of “anti-logic” will be a substitute for logic and will be analysed. “Anti-logic” will then be developed for pragmatic purposes (such as for an anti-logical system of ethics), and the concept of “anti-logic” will also be applied to theology and the question of whether God exists.

Thus, the following treatise considers the question “does truth exist?” and considers the consequences of truth being impossible.