THEORIES OF TRUTH
(PHIL 352, Sec. 1001)
    Readings and Assignments

    (Readings from the Lynch anthology, The Nature of Truth, are listed by author, title, and either chapter number or "pp." followed by page numbers. Readings from the Kirkham book, Theories of Truth, are listed by author and chapter number (sometimes with page specifications). Online readings are listed by author and title and labled "online". They are either available through WebCampus, under the side-menu Modules link, in Course Content, or they are linked here directly.)

  • For Aug. 29: Read Frankfurt, On Truth (online--you can skip Sections III and VIII); Lynch, "Introduction: The Mystery of Truth" (pp. 1-6); and Kirkham, Chapter 1. Anyone needing an introduction to or review of the notation of symbolic logic should also read Alex Miller's "Frege: Semantic Value and Reference" (online).
  • For Sep. 3: Labor Day!--No class.
  • For Sep. 5: Read Kirkham, Chapter 2 (pp. 54-72) and Lynch, "Realism and the Correspondence Theory: Introduction" (pp. 9-15). Then read Russell, "Truth and Falsehood" (1).
  • For Sep. 10: Re-read the Russell, then read Kirkham, Chapter 4 (pp. 119-124).
  • For Sep. 12: Read David, "Truth as Identity and Truth as Correspondence" (29) for more on the propositional account of belief.
  • For Sep. 17: Re-read the David article. Then read the excerpt (sections 1-3.01) from Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (online).
  • For Sep. 19: Re-read the Wittgenstein excerpt.
  • For Sep. 24: Read Austin, "Truth" (2) and Kirkham, Chapter 4 (pp. 124-140).
  • For Sep. 26: Read Strawson, "Truth" (19) and Kirkham, Chapter 10 (pp. 307bottom-312top).
  • For Oct. 1: Read Alston, "A Realist Conception of Truth" (3).
  • For Oct. 3: Putnam, "Two Philosophical Perspectives" (11).
  • For Oct. 8: Re-read the Alston and Putnam papers. Also, check out the suggested topics for the First Paper. Papers will be due Thursday 10/18 by 4pm. Be sure to look at my Paper Requirements and Policies and my Numbered Comments Sheet as well.
  • For Oct. 15: Read Kirkham, Chapters 2 (pp. 41-54) and 3 (pp. 73-79) and Lynch, "Coherence Theories: Introduction" (pp. 99-102). Then read Blanshard, "Coherence as the Nature of Truth" (5).
  • For Oct. 24: Read Kirkham, Chapter 3 (pp. 104-118). Then read Walker, "The Coherence Theory" (6).
  • For Oct. 29: Read Peirce, "How to Make Our Ideas Clear" (8) and Kirkham, Chapter 3 (pp. 79-87). If you would like to learn more about Peirce's views (e.g., on the nature of belief) you can read "The Fixation of Belief".
  • For Oct. 31: Re-read the Peirce. Then read James, "Pragmatism's Conception of Truth" (9) and Kirkham, Chapter 3 (pp. 79-104).
  • For Nov. 7: Read Lynch, "Deflationary Views and Their Critics: Introduction" (pp. 421-431) and Ramsey, "The Nature of Truth" (18). Then read Kirkham, Chapter 10 (pp. 317-321, 329-339).
  • For Nov. 12: No class! (Veterans Day)
  • For Nov. 14: Read Quine "Truth" (20) and re-read Kirkham, Chapter 10 (pp. 329-339). Then read Grover, "The Prosentential Theory: Further Reflections on Locating Our Interest in Truth" (22) and Kirkham, Chapter 10 (pp. 325-329).
  • For Nov. 19: Re-read the Grover (22), then read Gupta, "A Critique of Deflationism" (23).
  • For Nov. 21: Read Horwich, "A Defense of Minimalism" (24) and Kirkham, Chapter 10 (pp. 339-350).
  • For Nov. 26: Read Devitt, "The Metaphysics of Truth" (25). Also, take a look at topics for the Second Paper. Papers will be due Wednesday 12/5, by noon, via Turnitin.com on WebCampus.
  • For Nov. 28: Since I introduced the issue of the Liar Paradox on Monday, and one of the papers of mine assigned below discusses dealing with it, you might take a look at Graham Priest's New York Times Opinionator piece from Nov. 2010, "Paradoxical Truth". Then read Woodbridge, "Deflationism and the Generalization Problem" (online) and Woodbridge, "Truth as a Pretense" (online). (An earlier, talk-style presentation of the pretense view of truth-talk that I wrote up is available here.)
  • For Dec. 3: Be working on your Second Papers but also read the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on the Liar Paradox. Then read Lynch, "Tarski's Theory and Its Importance: Introduction" (pp. 323-329) and at least the truth section of Tarski's 1969 Scientific American article, "Truth and Proof" (online).
  • For Dec. 5: Read Armour-Garb and Woodbridge, "Truth, Pretense and the Liar Paradox" (online).
  • For Dec. 11: Tuesday REVIEW SESSION! 4pm-6pm in our regular classroom. (Note the new date!)
  • For Dec. 12: Final Exam, at 10:10am in our regular classroom. Bring an exambook to write your answers in, and bring an extra for someone who forgets.
Last updated December 6, 2018

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This document was created on August 22, 2018.