"What is Truth?", said jesting podcasters, who then stuck around for an answer. Back at it again with The Conjectures and Refutations Series (part three) on Chapter 10: Truth, Rationality, and the Growth of Scientific Knowledge. Can we say what truth is, even if we can never be certain we've found it? If not, can we say that science is approaching truth? How would we ever know? And why are so many theories of truth untrue?

We discuss

Ben's early reflections on Abigail Shrier's book Bad Therapy

Why did Popper feel the need to answer this particular "what is" question?

Can asking "what is truth" be a demogogic and bad-faith question?

The correspondence theory of truth vs The pragmatic theory of truth vs The coherence theory of truth

Alfred Tarski's formalization of the correspondence theory of truth

Are there problems with the correspondence theory?

The disagreement between Vaden and Deutsch on truth

References

Daniel Bonevac on the Correspondence theory of truth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlG_VaN1LHQ

Tarki's 1944 paper on the semantic conception of truth

Tarki's 1933 paper "On the concept of truth in formalized languages"

Deutsch's 2022 talk on truth: Musings about Truth

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Episode ID: 1000750059704

GUID: 0fea7698-ecf2-427d-94a1-bee55e1d72dd

Release Date: 17/02/2026, 03:30:00