Understanding Truth

by Scott Soames

In this book, Scott Soames illuminates the notion of truth and the role it plays in our ordinary thought, as well as in our logical, philosophical, and scientific theories. Part I addresses crucial background issues, including the identification of the bearers of truth, the basis for distinguishing truth from other notions (like certainty, with which it is often confused), and the formulation of positive responses to well-known forms of philosophical skepticism about truth. Part II explicates the formal theories of Alfred Tarski and Saul Kripke, including their treatments of the Liar paradox, and evaluates the philosophical significance of their work. Part III extends important lessons drawn from Tarski and Kripke into new vague predicates, the Sorites paradox, and the development of a larger, deflationary perspective on truth.

Soames aims to integrate and deepen the most significant insights on truth from a variety of sources. He powerfully brings together the best technical work an the most important philosophical reflection on truth and shows how each can illuminate the other.

Genres: Philosophy, Logic, Metaphysics

Hardcover

First published November 1, 1998

About the author

Scott Soames is a professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California. He specializes in the philosophy of language and the history of analytic philosophy.