Peirce on Truth

Abstract This chapter provides a brief introduction to Peirce’s conception of truth. It includes a guide to the most relevant primary sources; brief summaries of three recent, influential interpretations of those sources; and discussion of several ongoing controversies regarding these interpretations and common objections to Peirce’s view. It suggests that the best interpretations and defenses of Peirce’s view tend to carry commitments to other substantive and controversial views. This makes it difficult to defend Peirce’s view without first addressing broader issues of meaning (e.g., debate over representationalism, as discussed by Huw Price, for example) and/or metaphysics (e.g., Peirce’s “scholastic realism” as discussed by Robert Lane).