On Truth

· Random House
2 reviews
Ebook
112
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

Whatever benefits and rewards it may sometimes be possible to attain by bullshitting, by dissembling, or by sheer mendacity, societies cannot afford to tolerate anyone or anything that fosters a slovenly indifference to the distinction between true and false.

In a world of spin, rhetoric, blagging and bullshitting, a basic level of scepticism and the impulse to question first impressions is widely considered a virtue. Yet the very purpose of such caution - the discernment of truth - has for some time been undermined by a postmodern generation of authors, journalists, historians and philosophers who categorically deny the existence of any exterior, objective truth, elevating instead the impenetrable subjectivity of the individual above all else.

Blending philosophical insight with sheer common sense, Harry Frankfurt's incisive sequel to On Bullshit is a defence, a vindication, and a celebration of Truth. Whether concerning ourselves with work, pleasure, people or poetry, Frankfurt demonstrates that a belief in a basic notion of Truth is essential not just to our everyday involvement with the physical world, but to the concepts of identity, confidence, trust, conviction, society, and communication that endow our lives with meaning.

Whatever benefits and rewards it may sometimes be possible to attain by bullshitting, by dissembling, or by sheer mendacity, societies cannot afford to tolerate anyone or anything that fosters a slovenly indifference to the distinction between true and false. In a world of spin, rhetoric, blaggin...

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2 reviews

About the author

Harry G. Frankfurt is professor emeritus of philosophy at Princeton University. His books include On Bullshit; The Reasons of Love; Necessity, Volition, and Love; The Importance of What We Care About; and Demons, Dreamers, and Madmen. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey.
Harry G. Frankfurt is professor emeritus of philosophy at Princeton University. His books include On Bullshit; The Reasons of Love; Necessity, Volition, and Love; The Importance of What We Care About; and Demons, Dreamers, and Madmen. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

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