The self-referential paradox of defining truth without being circular. The classic definition is "correspondence with reality." But to check if a statement corresponds to reality, you must already have access to that reality, which is the very thing in question (see: Hard Problem of Reality). All other theories of truth collapse into relativism (coherence: "true if it fits our other beliefs") or pragmatism ("true if it works"), which abandon the commonsense notion of an objective, mind-independent truth. The hard problem is that the concept of truth seems necessary for rational discourse, yet any attempt to ground it leads either to infinite regress or a dogmatic stopping point.
Example: The statement "Gravity pulls objects toward Earth's center." How do we know it's true? We point to evidence (falling apples, orbital mechanics). But that evidence is only valid if we assume our senses and instruments reliably report reality (a truth claim itself). We trust the instruments because of physics (another set of truth claims). The chain never touches bedrock. The hard problem: Truth is the anchor of thought, but the anchor is hooked to the boat it's supposed to be securing. We sail on an ocean of justified beliefs, never dropping anchor in the seafloor of absolute truth. Hard Problem of Truth.
by Enkigal January 24, 2026
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