Realism and Anti-Realism [Central Problems of Philosophy]

Stuart Brock and Edwin Mares offer a clear introduction to different realist and anti-realist positions and arguments in five key domains - science, ethics, mathematics, modality, and fictional objects. Realism and Anti-Realism focuses on the core concept of realism, taking the perspective that, for each domain considered, there are facts or entities distinctive to that domain whose existence and nature is in some important sense objective and mind-independent. For each of the five areas the authors examine the various styles of argument in support of and against realism and anti-realism, showing how different positions and arguments arise, evaluating their success, and drawing some general conclusions about the assorted strategies. They provide in-depth explorations of error theory, fictionalism, non-cognitivism, relativism, and response-dependence, which they consider to be the most important positions in opposition to realism.