cover image Why Truth Matters

Why Truth Matters

Jeremy Stangroom, Ophelia Benson. Continuum, $29.95 (202pp) ISBN 978-0-8264-7608-1

In response to what Benson and Stangroom consider the modern reality of gray areas and denial, they present a philosophical case for the importance of truth that draws on writings by philosophers, anthropologists, poets and scientists. Their approach, accessible for readers who are less familiar with philosophical thought, addresses a wide range of topics: feminism, ""the social construction of truth"" and evolutionary biology. However, Benson's and Stangroom's arguments tend to get lost in the breadth of material they cover. Though generalizations leave the text vulnerable to counterarguments, it's hard to find fault with their premise that the truth, no matter how elusive or uncomfortable it may be, is worth pursuing.