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English
Bristol University Press
16 October 2025
Series: What Is It For?
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 long-standing problem will not be solved with modern technology or regulations, but with measures we must all apply: mindfulness, humility, cooperation and optimism.
By:  
Imprint:   Bristol University Press
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 203mm,  Width: 127mm, 
ISBN:   9781529249385
ISBN 10:   1529249384
Series:   What Is It For?
Pages:   152
Publication Date:  
Audience:   College/higher education ,  General/trade ,  Further / Higher Education ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

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.

Reviews for What Is Truth For?

“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. Nick 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 ""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


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