Truth and Naturalism

In this chapter we address the issue of whether truth is a natural phenomenon. We take this to be an important question for both those working on truth and those working on natural- ism. For theorists of truth, answering the question of whether truth is natural will tell us more about the nature of truth (or lack of it), and the relations between truth and other properties of interest. To those who wish to have truth as part of the natural order, answering this question is of paramount importance. We will focus primarily on the kinds of theory of truth that occupy the central positions in current debates about truth, namely correspond- ence theories, deflationary theories, epistemic theories, and pluralist theories, and aim to discern the extent to which truth is a natural property on each view. We will close by making some brief remarks on how the possible normativity of truth bears on the question of whether truth is a natural property.