Functional Pluralism
ثبت نشده
چکیده
The book is divided into three parts: I. ‘Cynical Myths’, II. ‘False Theories’ and III. ‘Why Truth matters’. Part I offers a diagnosis and criticism of views that naturally lead to cynicism with respect to truth: (a) the view that truth is unattainable, (b) the view that truth is relative, and (c) the view that falsehood is often more useful than truth. Part II offers a critique of prominent theories of truth. These are divided into three groups: (i) pragmatism and coherentism, (ii) reductive naturalism and causal correspondence, and (iii) fictionalism, minimalism, and deflationism. Part III argues for the normativity and intrinsic value of truth based on personal as well as political considerations. Since I agree with most of what Lynch says in this book (including his four positive claims and his criticisms of current attitudes and theories), I will best be able to contribute to the debate by concentrating on those parts of the book which are exploratory in nature and where the question of how to go on from here is largely open. In particular, I will critically (if sympathetically) examine Lynch’s specific proposal of a functional-pluralist theory of truth. In addition to True to Life, my discussion will be informed by his papers ‘A Functionalist Theory of Truth’ and ‘Truth and Multiple Realizability’.
منابع مشابه
Legal Pluralism Between Islam and the Nation-State: Romantic Medievalism or Pragmatic Modernity?
This Essay attempts a reconciliation of sorts between two perspectives on legal pluralism, via specific reference to Islamic law, most notably in its pre-modern guise. The Essay begins with a provisional commitment to legal centralism, but primarily as a means of securing a functional place for sub-State reglementary regimes. To this end, legal centralism, as presented, is tempered by a demonst...
متن کاملDisentangling Causal Pluralism∗
Causal pluralism is increasingly gaining interest as a promising alternative for monistic approaches toward causation. However, although the debate is scarcely out of the egg, the term “causal pluralism” already covers diverse meanings. This creates confusion, and to remedy that confusion, it is necessary to discern different kinds of pluralistic approaches to causation and different possible p...
متن کاملThe Concept of Pluralism in the Case-Law of the European Court of Human Rights
Meanings of pluralism in different disciplines – Meaning in jurisprudence, esp. European Court of Human Rights – Feature of society and idea of society – Individual freedom v. group existence – Politics, religion, education – Pluralism as expression of rights and as guarantee of rights – Rejection of legal pluralism – Contradiction of elitist theory – State protection of pluralism and its limits
متن کاملPluralism; an Old but New Phenomenon in Socio-political Processes
This paper presents pluralism as a historical process. The term pluralism frequently appears not only in the field of political philosophy but also in social sciences. In one sense, the growing literature is stimulating and enriching, nevertheless the abundance of material attempting to explain the various interpretations of pluralist theory can be convoluted and overwhelming. Despite the const...
متن کاملCausal and Functional Explanations
Functional explanation, for long the mainstay of psychology’s autonomy, has recently come under attack. It is sometimes argued that higher-level generalizations are causally impotent, and do not really explain anything. Presumably only the reduction of higher-level patterns to underlying causal physical properties, and the specifying of lower-level, local causal mechanisms, provides genuine exp...
متن کامل