@aidan,
aidan wrote:
Okay - here's where we get to the philosophical crux of the matter. Can something be true for me that's not true for you and/or everyone else?
That question usually asks whether I can believe that something is true, but another person not believe that something is true. And, of course the answer to that question is, yes. People sometimes have opposing beliefs. Sometimes, though, when you say that X is true for me, but not true for you, what is meant is that X is true in my case, but is not in your case. For example, it is true for me that milk is nutritious, since I do not have lactose intolerance. But, since you do have lactose intolerance, it is not true for you that milk is nutritious. Therefore, there are two senses of the phrase, "true for you, but not true for me". And, of course, it will depend on what sense of the phrase you are using whether it is correct or incorrect. As so often happens in philosophy, philosophical problems are cause by unclarity about what is being said, and when that unclarity is removed, the answer just pops up. That is why the philosopher, Wittgenstein wrote that, "Philosophy is a constant battle against the bewitchment of the intelligence by language". But, clarification aided by critical thinking; that is the name of the game. (By the way, saying "that depends on whether you are a relativist is not a solution. It just replaces the original problem with a newer, and even more obscure issue of, what is a relativist. And carries us into the land of philosophical jargon, instead of addressing the issue. In other words, to say that is a diversion).
