The concept of truth is one that has been debated for years and will continue to be the subject matter of debates to come. It is commonly pondered whether truth is absolute, or if it more subject to the interpretation of the individual. Blaise Pascall's coined phrase, "the heart hath its reasons, which the reason knows not of" establishes the idea that truth cannot always be perceived through rational means but rather emotional or psychological means. Plato's "Allegory of the Den", Rene Descartes" "From Skepticism to Conviction", and William James's "Belief" all address the concept of truth and attempt to assert, to some extent, how to define it. All these pieces differ in some respect whilst having similarities in others, concerning the way the arguments are presented, their perceptions of truth, and their conclusion of how relevant the concept of truth is to our lives. .
One way in which these writers differ is the way in which they present their arguments. Plato chooses to employ the use of dialogue in his piece "Allegory of the Den". Through a short story Plato communicates his views on what we perceive as truth and the truth of what we perceive. When the chained prisoner escapes and is finally released into reality, he, in a way, is like a newborn child. The prisoner has to think about what he sees and come to accept it. Descartes on the other hand, makes use of a "train of thought" style of writing to achieve similar goals. He, like the prisoner, however, starts with a "tabula rasa", and attempts to systematically prove certain realities as we see them. Both Plato and Descartes were rationalists. They employ logical reasoning and rational connections to arrive at what they conclude is the truth. Descartes describes his approach as "open and tentative". This methodological scepticism, as it is phrased in philosophical terminology, can give way to non-skeptical conclusions, as it does in the case of Descartes.
