What is literal truth?

Question

jagatuba · Answer

Literal truth is the unvarnished, unbiased truth about something. A statement or proclamation or report that does not in any way go beyond the actual facts.

anonymous · Answer

. . .  which one might argue is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. Some critics stress that there is no "view from nowhere." That there is always a point of view. Or as Nietzche proclaimed: There are no facts, only interpretations.

If you want to get philosophical about it.

jagatuba · Answer

And I may argue that in the strictest sense you are correct. However, I believe that there are cases where something can be considered the literal truth until it is revealed otherwise. For example, the speed of light is 299,792,458 m/s. This, so far, is a literal truth. Good journalism should be the literal truth, however, most news media reports are far from the literal truth. The bottom line is that, while yes we can debate the philosophical nature of truth all day, the practical definition of literal truth is still the same and THAT is the literal truth.

lifeisadangerousgame · Answer

Thanks!