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Truth: A Guide for the Perplexed
This important book is about truth, and the enemies of truth, and the wars that are fought between them. As Simon Blackburn says in his introduction, "the ground is complicated, strewn with abandoned fortresses and trenches, fought over by shifting alliances". Truth is an essential sure-footed guide through the territory, from classical to modern times. It looks at relativism and absolutism, toleration and belief, objectivity and knowledge, science and pseudo-science, and the moral and political implications, as well as the nuances, of all these.
- GenresPhilosophyNonfiction
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 25, 2006
11 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Simon Blackburn
75 books278 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Simon Blackburn FBA is an English academic philosopher known for his work in metaethics, where he defends quasi-realism, and in the philosophy of language; more recently, he has gained a large general audience from his efforts to popularise philosophy.
He retired as the professor of philosophy at the University of Cambridge in 2011, but remains a distinguished research professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, teaching every fall semester. He is also a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and a member of the professoriate of New College of the Humanities. He was previously a Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford and has also taught full-time at the University of North Carolina as an Edna J. Koury Professor. He is a former president of the Aristotelian Society, having served the 2009–2010 term. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2002 and a Foreign Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2008.
Simon Blackburn FBA is an English academic philosopher known for his work in metaethics, where he defends quasi-realism, and in the philosophy of language; more recently, he has gained a large general audience from his efforts to popularise philosophy.
He retired as the professor of philosophy at the University of Cambridge in 2011, but remains a distinguished research professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, teaching every fall semester. He is also a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and a member of the professoriate of New College of the Humanities. He was previously a Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford and has also taught full-time at the University of North Carolina as an Edna J. Koury Professor. He is a former president of the Aristotelian Society, having served the 2009–2010 term. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2002 and a Foreign Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 9, 2020
Blackburn is a very good writer and I do like his exposition wherein he explains concepts whilst systematically expounding the history of philosophy - it's a great way to cover a lot of content.
I have to say as a layman I did find certain sections of this book which were glossed over difficult to read. There were a few points where high level concepts were covered in a paragraph or so and a term explained there would be constantly referred back to - the issue I would then have is that I would go back and re-read this paragraph but not find enough in it to fully understand the new term!
This only happened a couple of times however and in general I feel like I understand the philosophical terrain surrounding discussions of "truth" and a few other topics far better than when I first picked up the book.
I have to say as a layman I did find certain sections of this book which were glossed over difficult to read. There were a few points where high level concepts were covered in a paragraph or so and a term explained there would be constantly referred back to - the issue I would then have is that I would go back and re-read this paragraph but not find enough in it to fully understand the new term!
This only happened a couple of times however and in general I feel like I understand the philosophical terrain surrounding discussions of "truth" and a few other topics far better than when I first picked up the book.
December 26, 2019
The title is a bit misleading: if you are perplexed when you start reading this book, you are bound to finish even more perplexed. This is definitely not a clear & unbiased introduction to epistemology for the general public, nor an extremely good 102.
2.85 stars because hanging around educated people is not the worst way to pass your time.
2.85 stars because hanging around educated people is not the worst way to pass your time.
April 30, 2009
Thought-provoking but I'm still perplexed
December 29, 2013
One of the first profound philosophical books I read... It is a challenging read, but it is definitely worth it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews