Final answer:
The Inquisition records illustrate a shift from 'divine truth' based on church authority to a 'practical truth' that requires evidential proof. This represents a broader historical transition towards an understanding of truth that can be questioned and investigated. The concept of papal infallibility, established much later, indicates the Catholic Church's response to the challenges posed by science and individual reasoning.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Inquisition records are emblematic of a shift from a socially and institutionally endorsed conception of truth to a more individuated one. Initially, truth was often conferred by one's societal status and alignment with the Church's teachings. However, during the Inquisition, a systematic pursuit to ensure religious conformity in Western Europe evolved, where suspected heretics were forced to demonstrate their innocence or suffer severe punishments such as torture or execution.
This transition represents a move from a 'divine truth' sustained by ecclesiastical authority to a 'practical truth' grounded in empirical evidence gleaned through questioning and investigation. Significantly, this transformation also corresponds to a developing understanding of historical evidence and its application in adjudicating veracity. It was not until the First Vatican Council in 1868 that the concept of papal infallibility was formally declared, which suggests that the Church felt increasing pressure to assert the incontrovertible truth of its doctrines in the face of rising challenges from science and secular knowledge.
While heavily influenced by the Church, the Western notion of truth during the Inquisition era began transitioning into something that had to be proven or defended, rather than something accepted unconditionally as a matter of faith and authoritarian declaration. Records from the period, such as court hearings and church documents, provide historians with evidence of this shift and have opened doors to understanding the lives of diverse groups throughout history, offering a richer tapestry of human experience beyond the dominance of religious dogma.