Jaycie Haynes

Mr. Lindow
Literature Review

British Literature
April 29, 2015

Literature Review
Philosophy is known as the study of the nature of knowledge, reality, and existence in an
academic discipline. Philosophers are defined as individuals who are engaged in learning about
philosophy, as an academic discipline. To understand what the word truth really means we can
look to philosophers and their knowledge to comprehend a deeper view of truth.
C.S. Lewis, a 20th century philosopher, used the idea truth it to dive deeper into religion.
He asks questions to get us thinking and concepts to make us ponder what we believe to be
true, and why we believe them to be true. Lewis translated his philosophical ideas into his book
Mere Christianity. In it he explains many of his theories, thoughts, ideas on truth, and
Christianity. Looking into his book he states that his only argument with God is why the universe
that was created by a Holy God can be so cruel and unjust? The conclusion he came to was
how can humanity call the world cruel and unjust when we have nothing to compare it too? The
truth Lewis believed in until he asked this question was that our God created a cruel world. The
conclusion he came to is that we as a world of sinful individuals lack the experience and
celestial knowledge to be able to explain what we believe to be true about our world.
Lewis explains that we believe things to be true, even when we havent witnessed it
ourselves, because reliable facts tell us so. We believe that an authority figure has a higher
knowledge than us simply because they have studied in a field we havent. Doctors, scientists,
mathematicians and politicians are considered high authority figures. In an example Lewis
states that people believe in things such as atoms, the Solar System, and the concept of
evolution because authority figures tell them so. Another example could be that none of us were
alive to see the Battle of Bull Run during the Civil War, but we believe it happened because it
was written down by people who were there. We believe it to be truth based on authority. This is

when Lewis connects this concept to religion: if men scoffed and doubted authority as much as
they do religion, they would never believe anything ever again.
Instead of taking a worldly view on truth, C.S. Lewis took the concept and applied it to
religion. Through his experience of converting to Christianity from Atheism he had the ability to
give a different view into what he calls truth according to scripture. His conversion did not make
him close minded, but rather it made him more open minded, and drove his desire to discover
the truth. In the end, truth according to Lewis philosophy is asking questions, pondering them,
stating what we believe, then answering why we believe it to be true.

Mahatma Gandhi, born October 2, 1869, was known to be a very peaceful historical
figure who also used his ideas of truth to dive into religion and the ways of living. Truth, as he
stated, is simply the most important name used to identify God. Nothing else in reality exists
except Truth, or God. Knowledge is also truth, and where truth is present so is knowledge, and
where there is no knowledge there is no truth. From knowledge there is bliss. God, according to
Gandhi, is completely made up of truth, knowledge and bliss. When we search to become fully
submersed in truth that is when we will fully understand our existence. He goes on to say that if
we completely live our lives according to truth every other obedience needed to live correctly will
come without struggle. What is not true is not knowledge, without truth and knowledge peace is
unreachable.
Gandhi believed that if we achieved this level of living in truth we know what is noble of
doing, reading, seeing et certa. What may be seen as true by one person can be untrue to
another. That, Gandhi states, should not be cause for worry. God appears, and shows himself in
different ways to everyone. Should that mean that God should show the same truth to
everyone? According to Gandhis theory, no. Every man should follow the way God has
appeared himself to the individual. Even if that leads to suffering, or to death, it is the way of

Truth. He believed that searching the path of Truth, when one stumbles it wont be for long. The
journey that is taken by the individual to search for Truth is noble and wholly right.
Gandhi used this idea of truth and the way of living and using his philosophy to lead the
largest peaceful political movement up to that point in history. He later explained that his way of
life, and discipline from his philosophy on truth did not come easy. Gandhi expressed that not
everyone possess the courage and faith to follow his philosophy on truth, thus causing scrutiny.
John Dewey born October 20th, 1859, identified himself as an American philosopher as
well as psychologist who used his ideas towards social and educational reform. His theory on
truth was based on problem solving. Dewey believed that to understand the truth human mind
has to compare rival hypotheses and deduct truth from the results. But he makes this claim
through fallibilistic; the idea that all knowledge could be mistaken, or false. The process that
proves a truth can always be criticized or revised, thus concluding nothing to be absolutely true.
Throughout most of Deweys career he focused many of his theories on epistemology, or the
theory of knowledge. His view on traditional epistemology whether it be rational or empiricist,
created a stark difference between thought, knowledge, and what idea was thought seemed to
refer to. Thought and awareness was believed to be something separated from the physical
world. This is where he saw the issue and came up with a different theory: thought does not
exist differently from the physical world. Eventually Dewey rejected his own solution calling it
inaccurate and confusing. After extensive research and consideration he came up with his next
solution which was: the world is not passively perceived and thereby know; active manipulation
of the environment is involved integrally in the process of learning from the start.
Dewey believed that unlike most philosophers from his time, knowledge and truth were
not strictly intellectual. Intellectual is related to the physical world. Knowledge and truth,
according to Dewey, were connected to the world, physically, and human in thought. He came to
his theories by extreme consideration and studies from past philosophers and scientists.

All philosophers who have studied truth, epistemology and knowledge. We are able to
draw a conclusion that no two views on these topics are alike. Due to their devout studies in
academic philosophy we are able to comprehend an understanding of a simple word we didnt
know had a deeper meaning.

Works Cited
"Dewey." Dewey. N.p., n.d. Web. Apr. 2015. <http://www.philosophypages.com/ph/dewe.htm>.
Hylton, Peter. "Willard Van Orman Quine." Stanford University. Stanford University, 09 Apr.
2010. Web. Apr. 2015. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/quine/#Tru>.
Lewis, C.S. "C. S. Lewis on Epistemology." By Faith We Understand. N.p., 29 July 2012. Web.
Apr. 2015.
"Truth in the Fire: C.S. Lewis and Pursuit of Truth Today by Dallas A. Willard." The Independent
Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.