Truth: The Basics (PDF)

Truth: The Basics is a concise and engaging introduction to philosophical theories about the nature of truth. The two authors - leading philosophers in this field - build the book around a single question: what, if anything, is common to all truths, which makes them true? The book explores five important answers ('theories') to the given question: correspondence, semantic, verifiability, transparency, and plurality. For each given theory, the following questions are addressed:

• What is the theory's answer to the central question?


• What is the basic motivation behind that answer?


• What is a precise argument for that answer?


• What are the biggest objections to that answer?


• What are a few good resources for understanding more about the theory?

An additional chapter provides an extensive introduction to the notorious liar paradox. Truth: The Basics is an ideal starting point for anyone seeking a lively and accessible introduction to the rich and complex philosophical study of truth.

Key Features:

• Written in a clear and concise fashion


• Clearly explains five major theories of truth for an uninitiated readership of undergraduate students and general readers


• Prepares the reader to tackle more advanced work in truth studies


• Makes connections between truth and other areas of philosophy, including the philosophy of language, semantics, metaphysics, logic and epistemology


• Includes technical appendices for more advanced readers