What is truth? What exists independently of our minds? The last three decades have witnessed an exciting renewal of interest in these classic philosophical questions. Indeed, thanks in part to a popular skepticism about the very ideas of objectivity and truth, interest in these issues is only increasing throughout the academy at the beginning of this new century.

The Conference on Truth and Realism brings some of the best known philosophers in the world together with some of the field’s emerging stars for the purpose of discussing these important topics. Specific issues to be explored include relativism, deflationism and its critics, vagueness and truth, pragmatism, the correspondence theory, and scientific realism. As a whole, the conference will provide both a state of the art overview of the best work on realism and truth, while at the same time serving to set the stage for future debates.

The conference is organized so as to provide maximum room for active participation by those in attendance. Time for discussion will be ample, and delegates will be able to mingle with the speakers during breaks, a whisky reception and a banquet. Distinctive features of the conference include a roundtable discussion at the end of the conference, and the conference-wide commentators, Simon Blackburn, Richard Rorty and Timothy Williamson. The role of the conference commentator is (amongst other things) to pick up on themes that reoccur throughout the conference and to give some sense, from their own perspective, of the important things that have been said, where the problems lie, and where future effort might be directed.

Department of Philosophy
University of St. Andrews
St. Andrews
Scotland
UK, KY16 9AL

tr2004@st-andrews.ac.uk