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.
The owl
is perched on
the branch.
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 “welljustified 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.