Reading 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. On-line readings are listed by author and title and labled "on-line".)

• For Jan. 12: Read Lynch, "Introduction: The Mystery of Truth" (pp. 1-6) and "Realism and the Correspondence Theory: Introduction" (pp. 9-15). Then read Russell, "Truth and Falsehood" (1). For an introduction to or review of the notation of symbolic logic, everyone should also read Alex Miller's "Frege: Semantic Value and Reference" (on-line). There is no Reaction Essay due this week.
• For Jan. 19: Read David, "Truth as Identity and Truth as Correspondence" (29). There is a Reaction Essay due in the Philosophy Dept. dropbox (outside of 2215 AH) by noon Tuesday 1/18 (since Monday is MLK day).
• For Jan. 26: Read Austin, "Truth" (2) and Strawson, "Truth" (19). Reaction Essays (on the Austin article) due in the dropbox by 3pm, Monday 1/24.
• For Feb. 2: Read Alston, "A Realist Conception of Truth" (3). Your Reaction Essay is due in the dropbox by 3pm, Monday 1/31.
• For Feb. 9: Read Lynch, "Coherence Theories: Introduction" (pp. 99-102) and Putnam, "Two Philosophical Perspectives" (11). There is no Reaction Essay due this week so that you can get working this weekend on the First Paper Installment. Papers are due in the dropbox by 3pm, Monday 2/14. Be sure also to read my Paper Requirements and Policies.
• For Feb. 16: Read Blanshard, "Coherence as the Nature of Truth" (5). Reaction Essays due in the dropbox by 10am, Wednesday 2/16, since the First Paper is due Monday.
• For Feb. 23: Read Walker, "The Coherence Theory" (6). Reaction Essays due in the dropbox by 3pm, Monday 2/21.
• For Mar. 2: Spring Break!
• For Mar. 9: Read Peirce, "How to Make Our Ideas Clear" (8) and James, "Pragmatism's Conception of Truth" (9). Reaction Essays (on Peirce) due in the dropbox by 5pm, Tuesday 3/8.
• For Mar. 16: Class re-scheduled: Monday, March 21 at 3pm in 2240 Angell Hall. Also, everyone must come meet with me in Office Hours next week to talk about plans for the Second Paper Installment.
• For Mar. 23: Read Lynch, "Tarski's Theory and Its Importance: Introduction" (pp. 323-329) then Tarski, "The Semantic Conception of Truth and the Foundations of Semantics" (15). To help you understand some of the technical aspects of Tarski's view, read Alex Miller's "Tarskian Truth-Theories". Reaction Essays on Tarski due in the dropbox by 3pm, Monday 3/21.
• For Mar. 30: Re-read the Miller, then read Quine, "Truth" (20). Next, read Lynch, "Deflationary Views and Their Critics: Introduction" (pp. 421-431) and Ramsey, "The Nature of Truth" (18). Reaction Essay on Quine due in the dropbox by 3pm, Monday 3/28.
  Also, start working on the Second Paper Installment, which is due by 3pm, Monday 4/4.
• For Apr. 6: Read Field, "Correspondence Truth, Disquotational Truth, and Deflationism" (21). No Reaction Essay due (since the Second Paper Installment is due Monday 4/4).
• For Apr. 13: Read Devitt, "The Metaphysics of Truth" (25). Reaction Essay due in the dropbox by 3pm, Monday 4/11.
• For Apr. 20: Start working on the Third Paper Installment, which is due Thursday 4/28.
• For Apr. 28: Third Paper Installment due! Turn your final papers in to the dropbox by 12:30pm (the end of our scheduled exam period).
  For those interested in my views on truth, you can take a look at the presentation-version of "Truth as a Pretense", "A Neglected Dimension of Semantic Pathology", and "Deflationism and the Generalization Problem".

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Last updated April 13, 2005

This site is maintained by James A. Woodbridge.

This document was created on January 8, 2005.