From Truth to Reality: New Essays in Logic and Metaphysics / Edition 1

by Heather Dyke

Overview

Questions about truth and questions about reality are intimately connected. One can ask whether numbers exist by asking "Are there numbers?" But one can also ask what arguably amounts to the same question by asking "Is the sentence 'There are numbers' true?" Such semantic ascent implies that reality can be investigated by investigating our true sentences. This line of thought was dominant in twentieth century philosophy, but is now beginning to be called into question.

In From Truth to Reality, Heather Dyke brings together some of the foremost metaphysicians to examine approaches to truth, reality, and the connections between the two. This collection features new and previously unpublished material by JC Beall, Mark Colyvan, Michael Devitt, John Heil, Frank Jackson, Fred Kroon, D. H. Mellor, Luca Moretti, Alan Musgrave, Robert Nola, J. J. C. Smart, Paul Snowdon, and Daniel Stoljar.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415988452
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/26/2008
Pages:	330
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

Table of Contents

Part I: Truth 'Unsettledness' in Bivalent Language: A Modest, Nonepistemic Idea JC Beall Vagueness and Truth Mark Colyvan Part II: Reality Biological Realism Michael Devitt Pleonastic Platonism Alan Musgrave Anomalous Monism John Heil On the Metaphysical Implications of Some Epistemological Commonplaces Frank Jackson Mathematical Platonism J. J. C. Smart Part III: Truth and Reality On Creeping Minimalism and the Nature of Minimal Entities Luca Moretti Hempel's Dilemma Daniel Stoljar From Reality to Truth: The Case of Electrons and Electron Theory Robert Nola Reflections on the Gem Fred Kroon On the Sortal Dependency of Individuation Thesis Paul Snowdon Truthmakers for What? D. H. Mellor

Editorial Reviews

"The collection is challenging yet accessible to readers with sound background in metaphysics. This work will be indispensable to anyone working in current analytic metaphysics, epistemology, and to some extent, philosophy of science. Summing up: Essential." — Choice

From the Publisher