Truth: A Contemporary Reader

by Douglas Edwards (Editor)

Overview

For the first time Truth: A Contemporary Reader brings together essays that have shaped two aspects of a fundamental philosophical topic: the nature of truth and the value of truth.

Featuring 22 essays, this up-to-date reader includes seminal work by leading figures in contemporary analytic philosophy. It charts the development of the central 'grand proposals' about the nature of truth, and subsequently how their influence gradually diminished in face of new theories developed in the 20th and 21st-centuries. The reader also demonstrates how truth is often taken to be valuable in various ways, in particular as the norm of correctness for belief and assertion, and the relationship between truth and other epistemic values.

With introductory overviews to each group of related papers complemented by guides to further reading, this reader introduces the central debates, familiarizes students with the most important work in the field and covers pivotal theories of truth including:

- correspondence theories
- coherentism, pragmatism, verificationism
- deflationary, primitivist, and pluralist theories

Moreover, by showing how thoughts about truth and value bear heavily on one another, Truth: A Contemporary Reader provides new opportunities for understanding and advancing the link between these central topics. This is an essential collection for anyone studying or working in metaphysics, epistemology, and the philosophy of language today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781474213295
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	09/05/2019
Pages:	426
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.61(h) x 0.94(d)

About the Author

Douglas Edwards is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Utica College, USA. He is the author of The Metaphysics of Truth (2018), and Properties (2014).

Table of Contents

Introduction
Editor's Introduction, Douglas Edwards
1. Correspondence Theories of Truth
Introduction
- Truth and Falsehood, Bertrand Russell (1912)
- Truth-Making and Correspondence, Marian David (2001)
- The Semantic Conception of Truth and the Foundations of Semantics, Alfred Tarski (1944)
- Tarski's Theory of Truth, Hartry Field (1972/2001)
- Truth and Language – World Connections, Dorothy Grover (1990)
Further Reading Suggestions
2. Epistemic Theories of Truth: Coherentism, Pragmatism, Verificationism
Introduction
- The Coherence Theory, Ralph C. Walker (2001)
- How to Make Our Ideas Clear, Charles S. Peirce (1878)
- Pragmatism's Conception of Truth, William James (1907)
- Truth, Michael Dummett (1959)
- Pragmatism on Solidarity, Bullshit, and Other Deformities of Truth, Cheryl Misak (2008)
Further Reading Suggestions
3. Deflationary Theories of Truth
Introduction
- A Defense of Minimalism, Paul Horwich (updated for this edition) (2001/2016)
- Deflationist Views of Meaning and Content, Hartry Field (1994)
- On Two Deflationary Truth Theories, Dorothy Grover (1990)
Further Reading Suggestions
4. Primitivist Theories of Truth
Introduction
- The Folly of Trying to Define Truth, Donald Davidson (1996)
- Truth as a Primitive, Trenton Merricks (2007)
Further Reading Suggestions
5. Pluralist Theories of Truth
Introduction
- Truth: A Traditional Debate Reviewed, Crispin Wright (1999)
- Three Questions about Truth, Michael P. Lynch (2013)
- Simplifying Alethic Pluralism, Douglas Edwards (2011)
- In Search of a Substantive Theory of Truth, Gila Sher (2004)
Further Reading Suggestions
6. The Value and Normativity of Truth
Introduction
- Minimalism and the Value of Truth, Michael P. Lynch (2004)
- Truth as Convenient Friction, Huw Price (2003)
- Intellectual Motivation and the Good of Truth, Linda Zagzebski (2003)
Further Reading Suggestions
7. Truth and Other Epistemic Values
Introduction
- Pointless Truth, Jonathan Kvanvig (2008)
- True Enough, Catherine Z. Elgin (2004)
Further Reading Suggestions
Glossary
Index

Editorial Reviews

This collection is the perfect starting point for anyone who wants to familiar with the ongoing philosophical debates about truth. Edwards's section introductions are helpful and clear. The articles collected here illustrate the most important moves in thinking about truth and its value over the past couple of centuries.” —Chase B. Wrenn, Professor of Philosophy, University of Alabama, USA

“The philosophy of truth has become a very complex field of inquiry, especially at a time when disrespect for truth is common. This well-devised anthology brings together both classical sources and more recent work. It gives an excellent image of the present debates, and guidelines to further inquiry.” —Pascal Engel, Director of Studies, Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris, France

“This great anthology will familiarize readers with core areas and questions in the study of the nature of truth. The general introduction and six more focused introductions by Prof. Edwards will be of incredible value to readers, as they will help them understand the included works and appreciate the richness of the truth debate.” —Nikolaj Jang Lee Linding Pedersen, Associate Professor of Philosophy & founding director, Veritas Research Center, Underwood International College, Yonsei University, South Korea

From the Publisher