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Construction and Worldmaking: the Significance of Nelson Goodman’s Pluralism

De Donato-Rodríguez, Xavier (2009) Construction and Worldmaking: the Significance of Nelson Goodman’s Pluralism. THEORIA. An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science, 24 (2). pp. 213-225. ISSN 2171-679X

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Abstract

Goodman’s style may be elusive sometimes, so that it may result difficult to interpret what he really has
in mind. This is a consequence of his masterful use of irony and metaphorical language. This difficulty of
interpretation affects important parts of his philosophical thoughts and had led to misunderstandings. In
the present article, I discuss the significance of Goodman’s pluralism, one of his most relevant theses. I try
to show that Goodman’s pluralism does not lead to skepticism or the relativism of “anything goes”. One of
the most common arguments directed against Goodman’s pluralism is that his attempt to provide a genuine
standard of “rightness” fails, leaving us without a conception of truth or an appropriate substitute. I will
argue that the conclusion of this argument is false, trying to show that Goodman’s aim of defending an irrealist
pluralism is perfectly coherent and defensible against the common interpretation of his critics.

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Item Type: Published Article or Volume
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
De Donato-Rodríguez, Xavierxavier.dedonato@usc.es
Additional Information: ISSN: 0495-4548 (print)
Keywords: Nelson Goodman, relativism, pluralism, worldmaking, constructivism, irrealism
Depositing User: Users 15304 not found.
Date Deposited: 28 Feb 2014 00:02
Last Modified: 28 Feb 2014 00:02
Item ID: 10373
Journal or Publication Title: THEORIA. An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science
Publisher: Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea / Universidad del País Vasco
Official URL: http://www.ehu.es/ojs/index.php/THEORIA/article/vi...
DOI or Unique Handle: 10.1387/theoria.443
Date: May 2009
Page Range: pp. 213-225
Volume: 24
Number: 2
ISSN: 2171-679X
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/10373

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