Being Known - Softcover

impressively crafted forays into metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of logic. This kind of work, however, inevitably invites different readers to pick different fruits. There are many nourishing fruits here that are ripe for picking, not just this season but for many seasons to come. (Mind, vol. 110, no. 440)

Peacecocke's book deserves admiration both for its bold architectonic and for its subtle treatments of numerous special topics. (Mind, vol. 110, no. 440)

Being Known is a response to a philosophical challenge which arises for every area of thought. The challenge is one of reconciling our conception of truth in an area with the means by which we think we come to know truth about that area. Meeting the challenge may require a revision of our conception of truth in that area; or a revision of our theory of knowledge for that area; or a revision in our conception of the relations between the two.

Christopher Peacocke presents a framework for addressing the challenge, a framework which links both the theory of knowledge and the theory of truth with the theory of concept-possession. It formulates a set of constraints and a general form of solution for a wide range of topics. He goes on to propose specific solutions within this general form for a series of classically problematic subjects: the past; metaphysical necessity; the intentional contents of our own mental states; the self; and freedom of the will. Being Known will interest anyone concerned with those individual topics, as well as those concerned more generally with meaning and understanding, metaphysics and epistemology, and their interrelations.