John begins by distinguishing types of relativity. Ken points out that absolute truth is hard to establish. Ken introduces Helen Longino, professor at the University of Minnesota. John asks Longino if there is a realm of relative truth, say, in art and morality. Longino says that we need to establish what we mean by "true" first, then decide about "relative" and "absolute." Longino describes the correspondence theory of truth which is the theory that statements are true if they correspond to facts in the world. She points out that this creates problems about truth in relation to value. Ken describes some ways to get to relativism with the correspondence theory of truth. Longino makes the distinction between attributing absoluteness to truths and to reasons.

One of the things that drives people to relativism is insurmountable disagreement. Longino agrees that there are areas that seem reasonable to apply relativism. Longino says that we could distinguish between judgments of value and judgments of fact. Ken says we need to distinguish between intersubjective agreement and objective truth. Courts of law find people guilty of a crime, but are the decisions true if the defendant is actually innocent? John thinks not. Ken asks since dispute is inexhaustible in science, how can we ever arrive at an absolute truth of any kind? How much does our notion or truth depend on our system of concepts and our physical makeup?

如果相对论成立，事情会发生什么变化?我们如何调和宗教真理和科学真理?为什么我们需要绝对真理的概念?朗吉诺说，我们需要区分绝对真理和一些较弱的东西，比如基本信念。约翰认为绝对真理的观念激发了探究。肯怀疑相对主义意味着完全的宽容。如果没有无所不知的第三方，如何解决各方之间的分歧?朗吉诺解释了为什么求助于一个全知的存在无助于解决分歧，以及我们如何根据这种知识来解决分歧。

• Roving Philosophical Report(Seek to 04:12): Amy Standen interviews a public defender, a priest, and a philosopher about the nature of truth.

• Conundrum(Seek to 49:06): Gordon Earle says that his mother was recently diagnosed with cancer. She lives several thousand miles away. He wants to visit her and she tells him that he doesn't have to come back. Should he go visit her, ignoring what she said?