The Metaphysics of Truth

Douglas Edwards

An innovative account of truth, tackling some of the central questions of philosophy
Defends the importance of truth as a key concept for philosophical analysis
Explores the relevance of the issues to thinking about the social world
Clearly and accessibly written

The Metaphysics of Truth

Douglas Edwards

Description

What is truth? What role does truth play in the connections between language and the world? What is the relationship between truth and being? The Metaphysics of Truth tackles these fundamental philosophical questions and develops a distinctive metaphysical worldview. Moreover, it does so in a climate where the traditionally central issue of the nature of truth has diminished in significance due to the rise of deflationary and primitivist views, which deny that there are interesting and informative things to say about truth. Douglas Edwards responds to these views, and demonstrates the importance of the metaphysics of truth with regard to both the study of truth itself, and metaphysical debates more generally. He also develops a detailed pluralist metaphysical approach, which starts with the diversity of different subject areas, and holds that there are different relationships between language and the world in different areas, or 'domains'. He develops a pluralist approach which explains what domains are; how different domains are individuated; which metaphysical frameworks apply in different domains; and how truth plays a key role in the picture. The picture is extended to incorporate ontological pluralism - the idea that there are different ways of being - which increases the explanatory power of the view. Edwards gives particular attention to important domains which have not yet received a great deal of attention in debates about truth, namely the institutional and social domains, and thus connects work on the metaphysics of truth and being to key issues in social construction.

The Metaphysics of Truth

Douglas Edwards

The Metaphysics of Truth

Douglas Edwards

Author Information

Douglas Edwards works primarily on issues in metaphysics and the philosophy of language. He has published numerous articles in leading philosophy journals, including Analysis, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, The Journal of Philosophy, and Synthese. He is the author of Properties (Polity Press, 2014), and the editor of Truth: A Contemporary Reader (Bloomsbury Press, 2018). He received his PhD from the University of St Andrews, and has since held positions at University College Dublin, the University of Aberdeen, Hamilton College, and Utica College, where he currently works.

The Metaphysics of Truth

Douglas Edwards

Reviews and Awards

Winner of the 2019 Sanders Book Prize awarded by the American Philosophical Association

"Edwards develops his own version of truth pluralism, making contributions along the way to discussions of differences in the role of predicates and the connection with ontological pluralism. The book is philosophically nuanced, rigorous and systematic in its treatment. It also stood out as interesting to a broad range of philosophical topics and discussions." -- The American Philosophical Association, in awarding the 2019 Sanders Book Prize

"The book covers substantial ground — including theories of truth, the ontology of properties, truthmaking, social ontology, among others — and is full of stimulating arguments. Philosophers of many stripes will find something of interest in Edwards' well-written and fascinating book" -- Aaron Griffith, Analysis Reviews

"boldly sets out a theory of truth in the grand old style" -- Mark Jago, Mind

"Edwards's book is essential reading for anyone in the thick of these debates." -- Steven Hales, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

"Edwards's writing is admirably clear and plain ... Edwards's presentation is thoroughly embedded in the contemporary discussion among analytic philosophers on the topic of truth, and the book will be important and valuable to that audience." -- R. T. Lee, CHOICE