LOGOS AND LAW: TRUTH IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF ANCIENT GREECE AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM OF ANCIENT ROME

Abstract

This paper examines the concept of truth in the philosophy of Ancient Greece and the legal system of Ancient Rome. The idea is substantiated that in different philosophical paradigms the criteria, and therefore the understanding of truth, differ significantly, but have a clear relationship. Thus, the Greeks cultivated truth on the metaphysical background of logos, while Roman law reduced it to the cult of formula. These paradigms are the basis for the formation of modern European civilization, and we can see how it is currently dichotomously torn between the belief in a rational-transparent world that has an ontological basis and the conviction that reality is ultimately formalized by a legal act. This idea lies behind any modern debate about post-truth: while the philosopher seeks “how it is”, the lawyer establishes “how it will be considered”. Thus, by studying the subtleties of understanding and the specificity of truth in these paradigms, an understanding of the mechanism that still forces the media to sell “expert truth” and the courts to turn even the facts of DNA analysis into procedural rhetoric emerges.