Evolution and the Naked Truth

<p>Published in 1998 the main aim of this book is to use a naturalistic evolutionary approach to solve some of the most important problems in philosophy. The first two problems come from the philosophy of science: the problem of rationality of science and the problem of truth in science. In presenting the first problem the author argues that the views of Kuhn and Feyerabend do create a very serious challenge to traditional epistemology however if the assumption of individual rationality is abandoned in favour of the author's social concept of rationality a committed naturalism can account for science as a rational activity. In tackling the second problem of truth the author shows that a committed evolutionary philosophy does not support realism but leads instead to a thorough evolutionary relativism of scientific knowledge. It is nevertheless possible to use this evolutionary relativism to construct a theory of relative truth. The issue of whether science discovers truth has also been tied to absolutism that a well formulated theory of relative truth is likely to bring about a profound transformation of the way we think about the field. The author explores the notion of relative truth in the philosophy of science ethics and aesthetics.</p>