Single Idea 4753

[catalogued under 3. Truth / H. Deflationary Truth / 2. Deflationary Truth]

Full Idea

Deflationism about truth seems to deprive us of any hope of asking genuinely metatheoretical questions, which are the questions that occupy philosophers most of the time.

Gist of Idea

Deflationism seems to block philosophers' main occupation, asking metatheoretical questions

Source

Pascal Engel (Truth [2002], §2.5)

Book Reference

Engel,Pascal: 'Truth' [Acumen 2002], p.54


A Reaction

This seems like the best reason for moving from deflationism to at least minimalism. Clearly one can talk meaningfully about the success of assertions and theories. You can say a sentence is true, but not assert it.