In this brilliant analysis of the role of language in confrontation, Timothy J. Cooney asks "Who would go to war under the banner, 'We believe we may be right' or 'In my opinion God is on our side'"? Most people will passionately defend what they believe to be true - whether it's true or not. We state what we believe to be true in what Cooney calls the bold, declarative form. Instead of saying, "It is true that the world is round " we just say "The world is round " and the form implies that our message is true. Unfortunately, the easiest thing in the world is to take what is actually an opinion and put it in a declarative form. One need only drop the first three words of the message "In my opinion there is other life in the universe" to demonstrate how meaning can shift dramatically. But it is still an opinion, despite its form; it is what Cooney calls a "phony declarative" or "an opinion masquerading as truth," and he illustrates that if phonies were recognized for the opinions they actually are, many a heated public debate would be exposed as word play. The distinction between truth and opinion is much more than an exercise for those who enjoy unraveling the distortions of language; it has become a matter of life and death in a world that is crowded, polluted, obsessed with religion, and armed-to-the-teeth. Opinion, recognized and expressed as such, generates little fury; but if opinion is believed to be truth and expressed in the bold, declarative form, it can drive us to distraction - and destruction. If we refer to our opinions as opinions, we can develop a more relaxed attitude toward our fellow human beings, even as we also (by the way we express ourselves) undermine the grip of dogma on the minds of others. But in order to put our opinions in their proper form, we must first be able to recognize the difference between truth and opinion, and this is no easy task. Cooney patiently and precisely opens up the background arguments of various messages expressed in the bold, declarative form, demonstrating which of them are true and why - and which are matters of opinion.

This stimulating book critically examines a wide range of physicalistic conceptions of mind in the works of Jerry A. Fodor, Stephen P. Stich, Paul M. Churchland, Daniel C. Dennett, and others. Part I argues that intentional concepts cannot be reduced to nonintentional (and nonsemantic) concepts; Part II argues that intentional concepts are nevertheless indispensable to our cognitive enterprises and thus need no foundation in physicalism. As a sustained challenge to the prevailing interpretation of cognitive science, this timely book fills a large gap in the philosophical literature. It is sure to spark controversy, yet its clarity makes it attractive as a text in upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in philosophy of mind and cognitive science. Saving Belief should be read by philosophers, psychologists, and others interested in the philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, and cognitive science. Originally published in 1988. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

The purpose of this book is simple: to help you find the courage, focus, and intrinsic motivation you need to accomplish great and marvelous things-things that have purpose and meaning in your life. It's about turning your dreams into plans, your plans into actions, and your actions into meaningful results. The way it does this is through the ADEPT Model: Accept: Accept the three economic laws of performing with intent. Discover: Discover what matters most and gives you meaning and purpose. Eliminate: Eliminate what doesn't matter-things that are distracting you from your purpose. Plan: Plan a course of action to achieving what matters. Take Action: Take action and develop the mindset you need to accomplish great things. It doesn't matter whether you're a company executive or an in-the-trenches employee, a student or a soccer mom, an inventor or an entrepreneur, a business owner or a volunteer. If you want to enjoy a greater sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in what you do, no matter your field of endeavor, this books is for you. If you want to wake up in the morning with a sense of excitement and adventure for what the day has in store, and go to bed knowing that your contributions made a difference, this book is for you. If at this point you're still reading this, odds are this book is for you.

Hartry Field presents a selection of thirteen essays on a set of related topics at the foundations of philosophy; one essay is previously unpublished, and eight are accompanied by substantial new postscripts.Five of the essays are primarily about truth, meaning, and propositional attitudes, five are primarily about semantic indeterminacy and other kinds of 'factual defectiveness' in our discourse, and three are primarily about issues concerning objectivity, especially in mathematics and in epistemology. The essays on truth, meaning, and the attitudes show a development from a form of correspondence theory of truth and meaning to a more deflationist perspective.The next set of papers argue that a place must be made in semantics for the idea that there are questions about which there is no fact of the matter, and address the difficulties involved in making sense of this, both within a correspondence theory of truth and meaning, and within a deflationary theory. Two papers argue that there are questions in mathematics about which there is no fact of the mattter, and draw out implications of this for the nature of mathematics. And the final paper arguesfor a view of epistemology in which it is not a purely fact-stating enterprise.This influential work by a key figure in contemporary philosophy will reward the attention of any philosopher interested in language, epistemology, or mathematics.

What does it mean to be truthful? What role does truth play in our lives? What do we lose if we reject truthfulness? No philosopher is better suited to answer these questions than Bernard Williams. Writing with his characteristic combination of passion and elegant simplicity, he explores the value of truth and finds it to be both less and more than we might imagine. Modern culture exhibits two attitudes toward truth: suspicion of being deceived (no one wants to be fooled) and skepticism that objective truth exists at all (no one wants to be naive). This tension between a demand for truthfulness and the doubt that there is any truth to be found is not an abstract paradox. It has political consequences and signals a danger that our intellectual activities, particularly in the humanities, may tear themselves to pieces. Williams's approach, in the tradition of Nietzsche's genealogy, blends philosophy, history, and a fictional account of how the human concern with truth might have arisen. Without denying that we should worry about the contingency of much that we take for granted, he defends truth as an intellectual objective and a cultural value. He identifies two basic virtues of truth, Accuracy and Sincerity, the first of which aims at finding out the truth and the second at telling it. He describes different psychological and social forms that these virtues have taken and asks what ideas can make best sense of them today. Truth and Truthfulness presents a powerful challenge to the fashionable belief that truth has no value, but equally to the traditional faith that its value guarantees itself. Bernard Williams shows us that when we lose a sense of the value of truth, we lose a lot both politically and personally, and may well lose everything.

A hilarious, timely conversation about the differences between facts and opinions, by the creator of the #1 New York Times bestseller Goodnight Goon Do you know the difference between a fact and an opinion? It can be a hard thing to understand. Some things are facts--like the number of robots in this book. Other things are opinions--like which robot would make the best friend, or which robot dances best. And sometimes to tell the difference between a fact and an opinion, you need to wait to get more information--that's because facts can be proven true or false, and opinions are things you feel and believe--but that you can't prove. Mike Rex introduces young readers to the very important distinction between facts and opinions, and he reminds us that it is nice to listen to one another's opinions, and to stand up for the facts!