What's the Use of Truth? - Hardcover
$24.95
Skip to product information
What's the Use of Truth? - Hardcover
$24.95
by Richard Rorty (Author), Pascal Engel (Author), William McCuaig (Translator)
What is truth? What value should we see in or attribute to it?
The war over the meaning and utility of truth is at the center of contemporary philosophical debate, and its arguments have rocked the foundations of philosophical practice. In this book, the American pragmatist Richard Rorty and the French analytic philosopher Pascal Engel present their radically different perspectives on truth and its correspondence to reality. Rorty doubts that the notion of truth can be of any practical use and points to the preconceptions that lie behind truth in both the intellectual and social spheres. Engel prefers a realist conception, defending the relevance and value of truth as a norm of belief and inquiry in both science and the public domain. Rorty finds more danger in using the notion of truth than in getting rid of it. Engel thinks it is important to hold on to the idea that truth is an accurate representation of reality. In Rorty's view, epistemology is an artificial construct meant to restore a function to philosophy usurped by the success of empirical science. Epistemology and ontology are false problems, and with their demise goes the Cartesian dualism of subject and object and the ancient problematic of appearance and reality. Conventional "philosophical problems," Rorty asserts, are just symptoms of the professionalism that has disfigured the discipline since the time of Kant. Engel, however, is by no means as complacent as Rorty in heralding the "end of truth," and he wages a fierce campaign against the "veriphobes" who deny its value. What's the Use of Truth? is a rare opportunity to experience each side of this impassioned debate clearly and concisely. It is a subject that has profound implications not only for philosophical inquiry but also for the future study of all aspects of our culture.Author Biography
Richard Rorty (1931-2007) was professor of comparative literature and philosophy at Stanford University. His Columbia University Press books include An Ethics for Today: Finding Common Ground Between Philosophy and Religion (2010) and The Future of Religion (2005).
Pascal Engel is ordinary professor of contemporary philosophy at the University of Geneva and has taught at the Sorbonne. He is the author of Truth (2014) and The Norm of Truth (1991). William McCuaig is a translator living in Montreal.
Number of Pages: 96
Dimensions: 0.53 x 7.3 x 4.8 IN
Publication Date: January 30, 2007
Details
This product is crafted with quality materials to ensure durability and performance. Designed with your convenience in mind, it seamlessly fits into your everyday life.
Shipping & Returns
We strive to process and ship all orders in a timely manner, working diligently to ensure that your items are on their way to you as soon as possible.
We are committed to ensuring a positive shopping experience for all our customers. If for any reason you wish to return an item, we invite you to reach out to our team for assistance, and we will evaluate every return request with care and consideration.
