Correspondence Theory of Truth

Correspondence Theory of Truth

Bertrand Russell’s argument for the correspondence theory of truth—

1.  The truth or falsehood of a belief (proposition, statement) depends on its relationship to something that lies outside the belief (propositions, statements) itself.

2.  If 1 is true, then truth is agreement between beliefs (propositions, statements) and facts.

3.  Therefore, truth is agreement between beliefs (propositions, statements) and facts—i.e., the correspondence theory of truth is correct.

Questions, Problems:

·  What are facts?

·  What does it mean for a belief (proposition, statement) to “agree with” (“correspond to”) a fact?

·  What “facts” do negative beliefs (propositions, statements)—e.g., “The owl is not perched on the branch”—“agree with” (“correspond to”)?

·  What “facts” do true logical and mathematical beliefs (propositions, statements) “agree with” (“correspond to”)?

Coherence Theory of Truth

Considerations Supporting the Coherence Theory of Truth—

·  In logic and mathematics, we accept a proposition as true if it is consistent with and “fits together with” other propositions that we already accept as true.

·  Scientists typically decide whether or not to accept a particular theory on the basis of whether it is consistent with the preponderance of the evidence and background information rather than whether the theory agrees with each individual “fact.”

Problems for the Coherence Theory of Truth—

·  Not every consistent set of beliefs (propositions, statements) are true.

·  Our initial beliefs cannot be true just because of their relation to other beliefs (since “other beliefs” do not exist when our initial beliefs are formed).

Pragmatic Theory of Truth

2 pragmatists: William James and Richard Rorty

James—

·  An “idea” is true if it is one “that we can assimilate, validate, corroborate, and verify.”

·  An “idea” is verified or validated if, together with the acts and other ideas that it “instigates,” its impact on our experience is “progressive, harmonious, satisfactory.”

·  “Truth happens to an idea. It becomes true, is made true by events.”

Rorty—

·  The notion of truth as correspondence to reality is one that we would be better off without.

·  We would be better off with an “ethnocentric view” of “well-justified belief”—i.e., belief that satisfies the “familiar procedures of justification which a given society, ours, uses in one or another area of inquiries.”

Argument against pragmatic theories of truth—

1.  Not all beliefs, ideas, etc. that are useful in solving practical problems turn out to be true. (e.g., the geocentric view of the solar system, Newtonian mechanics)

2.  Therefore, truth cannot be explained in terms of the usefulness of beliefs, ideas, etc. in solving practical problems.

3.  Therefore, pragmatic theories of truth are incorrect.