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    Brand Blanshard, the coherence theory's most systematic d... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→The coherence theory of truth entails some form of idealism

    Brand Blanshard, the coherence theory's most systematic defender, explicitly maintained a realist commitment to a mind-independent rational structure the coherent system must track.

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    1 reason for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
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    • 1.Coherence alone cannot distinguish between equally coherent but contradictory systems, so realist constraints are necessary.
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    • 2.Blanshard's position avoids idealism by anchoring truth to mind-independent structures that constrain rational coherence.
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    • 3.Scientific progress presumes objective rational structures exist; coherence theory needs realism to explain why some systems succeed.
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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
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    • 1.Adding realist commitments to coherence theory smuggles in correspondence theory's problems without solving coherence theory's core issues.
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    • 2.If truth fundamentally requires tracking mind-independent structure, coherence becomes derivative, undermining coherence theory's core claim.
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    • 3.Blanshard provides no principled account of how coherence systems access or verify mind-independent rational structures.
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    Key Terms

    Brand Blanshard(as the main philosopher discussed in the statement)
    An American philosopher (1892-1987) who was one of the most influential defenders of the coherence theory of truth, meaning he believed truth is about how well ideas fit together logically rather than how well they match reality.
    Mind-independent rational structure(the kind of reality Blanshard thought exists)
    A logical pattern or framework that exists and follows rules regardless of whether any human being thinks about it or knows about it.
    Realist commitment(describing what Blanshard believed about reality)
    A belief that there is a real world that exists independently of what anyone thinks about it—it's not just made up in our minds.
    Track(logic and argument)
    In philosophy, this means 'correspond to' or 'align with'—so 'deontic distinctions track blame' means moral rules match up with who we blame.
    coherence theory(Used to refer to both a theory of truth and a theory of justification)
    An epistemological and metaphysical view on which truth and/or justification consist in coherence among a system of beliefs, typically associated with idealism

    Connections

    1 topic

    Truth & Knowledge1 linked

    Related

    Adding realist commitments to coherence theory smuggles in correspondence theory...Blanshard provides no principled account of how coherence systems access or veri...Blanshard's position avoids idealism by anchoring truth to mind-independent stru...Coherence alone cannot distinguish between equally coherent but contradictory sy...

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    2 (1 for, 1 against)
    Edits
    1 edit
    +3 moreShow less
    If truth fundamentally requires tracking mind-independent structure, coherence b...Scientific progress presumes objective rational structures exist; coherence theo...The coherence theory of truth entails some form of idealism