Knowledge, Truth, and Bullshit: Reflections on Frankfurt
2008; Wiley; Volume: 32; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1111/j.1475-4975.2008.00167.x
ISSN1475-4975
Autores Tópico(s)Misinformation and Its Impacts
ResumoThis paper addresses two aspects of Harry G. Frankfurt's work on truth and what he calls "bullshit"roughly, talk unconnected to the truth.In his short book On Truth, Frankfurt argues that truth is important for essentially instrumental reasons because of its usefulness as a basis for successful action.My main aim in the first part of this paper is to explore the connection between Frankfurt's work on the value of truth and recent work by myself, carried out partly in collaboration with Alvin I. Goldman, on the value of reliabilist knowledge.The second part concerns a puzzle raised by Frankfurt in connection with his discussion of the nature of bullshit.Frankfurt believes that a society can prosper only if there is shared agreement on a great many truths.He also thinks, however, that our society is affected by an "immeasurable flood of bullshit" prohibiting the truth from being generally known.And yet, our society does prosper.I explore various ways of solving the puzzle, drawing partly on recent work in social epistemology.
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