Realism and Truth
Second Edition
2nd Edition
Published on 12. January 1997
Book
Paperback/Softback
340 pages
978-0-691-01187-5 (ISBN)
Description
In this provocative and wide-ranging book, Michael Devitt argues for a thoroughgoing realism about the common-sense and scientific physical world, and for a correspondence notion of truth. Furthermore, he argues that, contrary to received opinion, the metaphysical question of realism is distinct from, and prior to, any semantic question about truth. The book makes incisive responses to Putnam, Dummett, van Fraassen, and other major anti-realists. The new afterword includes an extensive discussion of the metaphysics of nonfactualism, and new thoughts on the need for truth and on the determination of reference.
Reviews / Votes
"With this worthwhile second edition, Devitt's voice remains one of the most important and distinctive in the arena of contemporary metaphysics-it is too loud and too clear to be ignored."--John Divers, The Philosophical Quarterly "A wide-ranging examination of several central issues in metaphysics, philosophy of language, epistemology, and philosophy of science. Realism and Truth is well worth reading. Devitt writes with clarity and sophistication, and his book is sure to ruffle some anti-realist feathers."--Philip Gasper, Philosophical Review "This book is highly recommended for those who want to break into the current realism/anti-realism debate... An ideal text for those teachers who want to give their students a 'map of the territory.'"--Patrick Madigan, The Review of MetaphysicsMore details
Edition
Second Edition
Language
English
Place of publication
New Jersey
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Edition type
Revised edition
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
656 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-691-01187-5 (9780691011875)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Previous edition
Book
10/1984
Princeton University Press
€43.33
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
Michael Devitt is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Maryland. He is the author of Designation and Coming to Our Senses: A Naturalistic Program for Semantic Localism, and coauthor, with Kim Sterelny, of Language and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Language.
Content
Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the First Edition Part I Introduction 1 Introduction Part II Proposals 2 What is Realism? 3 What is Truth? 4 What has Truth to do with Realism? 5 Why be a Common-Sense Realist? 6 Why do we Need Truth? 7 Why be a Scientific Realist? Part III Polemics 8 Van Fraassen against Scientific Realism 9 Kuhn, Feyerabend, and the Radical Philosophers of Science 10 Davidsonians against Reference 11 Rorty's Mirrorless World 12 The Renegade Putnam 13 Worldmaking 14 Dummett's Anti-Realism Part IV Conclusions 15 Conclusions Afterword List of Major Named Maxims and Doctrines Bibliography Index