On Truth and Its Importance
What is truth, and why does it matter? John Divers works on modality and analytic philosophy. In this talk he will explore what we should take truth to mean and why its role remains crucial in our practical and intellectual lives.
Reflection on the concept of truth and on its importance has been a constant in the history of Philosophy. Today, in what is often called a “post-truth” era, this reflection has gained new urgency, extending beyond academic discussions and into public debate. What exactly is truth, and how does it differ from related concepts like belief, evidence, and lying?
In this talk, John Divers will address these questions, offering an account of what we should understand truth to be. He will argue for the vital role truth plays in our inquiries and actions, drawing on pragmatist philosophy to show how abandoning the concept of truth would negatively affect our understanding of the world.
Date | Thursday, 6th March 2025
Time | 7.00pm - 8.30pm
Location | The Synge Theatre, The Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin
Prof. John Divers
John is Professor of Moral Philosophy (1837) in Trinity College Dublin and also Head of the Department of Philosophy. Before joining Trinity in 2022, John was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield and (more recently) at the University of Leeds. His primary research is focused on matters of modality: what might be, what would have been, what must be and what cannot be.