Truth, discovery and being very, very small

Philosophers have, for centuries, struggled to define truth. And so many theories and basic logical relationships rely on the basic assumption that something is true; namely, 2 + 1 = 3 because 2 indicates two things, 1 indicates one thing and 3 indicates three things. Whether that assumption is in line with reality is another question; number theorists assert that in mathematics, truth exists based on the form of a function. Namely, the beauty of mathematics is that if something follows the form v1 + v2 = v3 in a way that satisfies the function, it can be deemed as mathematically true.

Yet, 2+1 can only equal 3 if we as a society deem true that the symbol 2 denotes two distinct objects and the symbol 1 denotes one; the mathematical form of v1 + v2 = v3 requires a greater truth of v1, v2, and v3. It brings us back to our original question: can we ever really know the objective truth?

It’s easy to get bogged down in number theory and the definition of truth, but the point is that truth is subjective; something is true if we commonly agree that it is. So what about truths that come into existence? Gravity, for instance, existed before Isaac Newton deemed it to be a true phenomenon, yet no consensus existed on its truth. It is so often mind-boggling to think of our vast array of knowledge — not just as an individual, but also as a university and as a human race — as only microscopic in the scope of everything that is true.

It is this realization that humbles us and reminds us that we are very, very small in the grand scheme of existence. But it also reminds us that we constantly stand on the precipice of innovation and discovery.

One of the most beautiful things about undergraduate research is the ability to participate in the exploration of a new truth — whether in the natural sciences, social sciences or other fields of study. It’s a deeply underappreciated way to make some small contribution to the greater development of a subject, a university, and ultimately, the human race. It connects the individual to a community at large, contributing to the human process of slowly dismantling truth and rebuilding new ones.

Sonali Seth is a freshman majoring in political science. Her column, “Sonacrates,” runs Tuesdays.