Truth and reality : the importance of truthmaking for philosophy
In this dissertation, I attempt to improve our understanding of truthmaker theory (TT) by defending the modest importance of TT for philosophy via addressing in-house issues. I am not addressing the TT-skeptic. In Part 1, I articulate a metaphysically modest version of TT which focuses on the notion of aboutness. In Part 2, I apply this version to three further debates, to which TT has been thought to have substantial applications, radically reinterpreting each of these applications in a metaphysically modest way. Part 1 starts, in Â§1, with a presentation of what I call the basic account of TT (BATT), which posits the bare-bones requirements of TT, stripping it of its immodest and question-begging metaphysical commitments concerning the nature of truthbearers and truthmakers. In Â§2, I present my favoured, aboutness-based, version of TT (TAAT) which goes beyond BATT in an explicitly modest way. In Â§3, I sketch how TAAT can provide a piecemeal strategy to address the problem of negative truths. In Â§4, I detail TAAT's metaphysical modesty. Part 2 starts, in Â§5, by rejecting a rival account which I call Truthmaker Fundamentalism. In Â§6, I undermine the orthodox conception of ~cheater-catching~ and reinterpret
Schipper, A.
Truth and reality : the importance of truthmaking for philosophy. In this dissertation, I attempt to improve our understanding of truthmaker theory (TT) by defending the modest importance of TT for philosophy via addressing in-house issues. I am not addressing the TT-skeptic. In Part 1, I articulate a metaphysically modest version of TT which focuses on the notion of aboutness. In Part 2, I apply this version to three further debates, to which TT has been thought to have substantial applications, radically reinterpreting each of these applications in a metaphysically modest way. Part 1 starts, in Â§1, with a presentation of what I call the basic account of TT (BATT), which posits the bare-bones requirements of TT, stripping it of its immodest and question-begging metaphysical commitments concerning the nature of truthbearers and truthmakers. In Â§2, I present my favoured, aboutness-based, version of TT (TAAT) which goes beyond BATT in an explicitly modest way. In Â§3, I sketch how TAAT can provide a piecemeal strategy to address the problem of negative truths. In Â§4, I detail TAAT's metaphysical modesty. Part 2 starts, in Â§5, by rejecting a rival account which I call Truthmaker Fundamentalism. In Â§6, I undermine the orthodox conception of ~cheater-catching~ and reinterpret
truth reality importance philosophy attempt_improve theory defend modest importance philosophy via address house issue address part articulate metaphysically modest version focus notion part apply version debate think substantial application radically reinterpret application metaphysically modest way part start ass presentation call basic account posit bare bones requirement strip question begging metaphysical commitment concern_nature ass present favour based version beyond explicitly modest way ass sketch provide piecemeal strategy address_problem negative truth ass detail metaphysical modesty part start ass reject rival account call ass undermine orthodox conception reinterpret