What Is Truth For? - (What Is It For?) by N J Enfield (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Truth is for striving at, for the sake of good collective action.

With new media technologies, it seems that falsehoods can spread faster and further than ever. And with new norms of public discourse, while being caught in a lie would once end a politician's career, today it is shrugged off, which has profound implications for democracy. Does the truth no longer matter?

This optimist's guide to truth argues that the problem of truth is an ancient one. It contends that truth is the best device we have for coordinating collective decisions and actions, and that, while the truth itself is perpetually elusive, the concept of truth as a target ideal to strive for is supremely useful. If we do not strive for truth, our decisions will be risky at best, often foolish and sometimes disastrous. This longstanding problem will not be solved with modern technology or regulations, but with measures we must all apply: mindfulness, humility, cooperation and optimism.

Review Quotes

'Everyone claims to care about truth - yet surprisingly few are really dedicated to pursuing it, which requires not just freedom but virtues like integrity, self-discipline, and humility. N.J. Enfield explains how each of us can become a better truth-seeker - and, in doing so, become a better person, too.' Jonathan Rauch, Brookings Institution

"A powerful exploration of truth's complexity--how we find it, distort it, and depend on it to hold together science, society, and shared understanding." Michael Rich, RAND Corporation

"Drawing upon multiple disciplines and real-world examples, Enfield demonstrates that robust free speech is the essential engine for pursuing truth." Nadine Strossen, New York Law School

"Top-drawer linguistics meets Truth, and finds that it's small-t, yet essential. When used well, the word 'truth' has rhetorical power." Deirdre McCloskey, economist

"Truth needs its champions these days, and N. J. Enfield rises to the challenge. This punchy volume reveals what truth is, how best to go about finding it, and why it's okay if we never perfectly achieve it. A bracing corrective at a time when truth is being called into question more than ever." Sean Carroll, Johns Hopkins University

"Everyone claims to care about truth - yet surprisingly few are really dedicated to pursuing it, which requires not just freedom but virtues like integrity, self-discipline, and humility. N.J. Enfield explains how each of us can become a better truth-seeker - and, in doing so, become a better person, too." Jonathan Rauch, Brookings Institution

"A powerful exploration of truth's complexity-how we find it, distort it, and depend on it to hold together science, society, and shared understanding." Michael Rich, RAND Corporation

"Truth needs its champions these days, and N. J. Enfield rises to the challenge. This punchy volume reveals what truth is, how best to go about finding it, and why it's okay if we never perfectly achieve it. A bracing corrective at a time when truth is being called into question more than ever." Sean Carroll, Johns Hopkins University

"Drawing upon multiple disciplines and real-world examples, Enfield demonstrates that robust free speech is the essential engine for pursuing truth." Nadine Strossen, New York Law School

"Top-drawer linguistics meets Truth, and finds that it's small-t, yet essential. When used well, the word 'truth' has rhetorical power." Deirdre McCloskey, economist

About the Author

N. J. Enfield is professor of linguistics at the University of Sydney. His award-winning research on how language influences the ways we think and act has been published widely in linguistics, anthropology and cognitive science, as well as in the media. He is a member of the Fighting Truth Decay research node at the Charles Perkins Centre.