Philosophy For Our Times
After the End of Truth | John Searle, Hilary Lawson, Hannah Dawson
Aug 31, 2016
Join John Searle, a leading philosopher from UC Berkeley, Hilary Lawson, a critic of realism and founder of How the Light Gets In, and Hannah Dawson, a lecturer and author, as they tackle the crisis of truth in contemporary discourse. They explore how a generation shaped by postmodernism grapples with objectivity and meaning. The guests challenge the tyranny of truth claims, emphasizing the importance of narrative and wisdom over rigid realism. They also delve into how language and human categories influence our understanding of reality.
43:09
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Quick takeaways
- The podcast emphasizes that while subjective narratives shape our understanding, objective truths still exist and are essential for coherent communication.
- A non-realist approach to truth can foster creativity in interpretations, but it poses risks of eroding accountability in political narratives.
Deep dives
The Nature of Truth
The podcast explores the complex concept of truth and its relevance in contemporary philosophy. One speaker argues that traditional realism has failed, suggesting that it is not possible to accurately link language with an independent reality. Instead, they propose a non-realist theory emphasizing the importance of creating narratives that serve useful functions in our lives rather than seeking an ultimate objective truth. This approach shifts the focus toward the idea of wisdom, where the aim is to refine narratives based on their effectiveness rather than their claim to absolute truth.
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