Overview
On the mainstream view of meaning, to know the meaning of a sentence is to know the conditions under which the sentence is true. This view, however, is challenged by non-objective sentances such as judgements of taste: these do not appear to be either true or false, but are generally taken to be meaningful. How can this conflict be resolved? Truth Without Objectivity examines different ways of resolving this fundamental problem, before developing and defending a relativist theory of truth. The standard solutions reject one of the claims above, by maintaining either that judgements of taste do have truth conditions in order to be meaningful. Max K/lbel argues that both of these proposed solutions are inadequate, and that a third well known position, minimalism, can only solve the problem if it is developed in the direction of relativism about truth. K/lbel defends the idea that truth is a neutral notion: a sentence's possessing a truth condition does not yet entail that it concerns an objective subject matter, because truth and objectivity are independent of one another. He argues that this notion of 'truth without objectivity' leads directly to a relativist theory of truth, and goes on to defend his form of relativism from the usual objections to such theories.
Full Product Details
Author: Max Kölbel
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint: Routledge
Dimensions:
Width: 15.60cm
, Height: 1.40cm
, Length: 23.40cm
Weight: 0.310kg
ISBN: 9780415272452
ISBN 10: 0415272459
Pages: 166
Publication Date: 30 May 2002
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Tertiary & Higher Education
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
This is the most interesting, carefully constructed, and challenging exposition and defence of the view that truth is relative which I have read. Whilst written with admirable simplicity and clarity, its argumentation has both philosophical depth and great subtlety. -Bob Hale, University of Glasgow
This is the most interesting, carefully constructed, and challenging exposition and defence of the view that truth is relative which I have read. Whilst written with admirable simplicity and clarity, its argumentation has both philosophical depth and great subtlety. <br>-Bob Hale, University of Glasgow <br>
"""This is the most interesting, carefully constructed, and challenging exposition and defence of the view that truth is relative which I have read. Whilst written with admirable simplicity and clarity, its argumentation has both philosophical depth and great subtlety."" -Bob Hale, University of Glasgow"
Author Information
Max Kölbel is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Birmingham.
