The principle that truth itself exists on a spectrum—not a binary property but a continuum from absolute truth through various degrees of probability, plausibility, and perspective to absolute falsehood. This law establishes that the question isn't "is it true?" but "where on the spectrum of truth does this claim fall?" It acknowledges that most important claims live in the middle regions—partly supported, partly contested, true enough for practical purposes, false in some respects. The law of the spectrum of truth is the foundation of intellectual humility and the enemy of dogmatic certainty.
Example: "He demanded to know if the historical account was 'true.' The law of the spectrum of truth said: true on the spectrum of documented events, contested on the spectrum of interpretation, partial on the spectrum of perspective, evolving on the spectrum of scholarship. The truth wasn't a point; it was a position. He wanted certainty; the spectrum gave him understanding. He wasn't sure that was better."
by AbzuInExile February 16, 2026
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