Is It Possible to Define Truth?

Abstract

Article analyzes possibilities of definition of concept of truth. The author considers a number of classical definitions («truth as correspondence to reality», «truth as utility», «truth as coherence») and deflationist's objections against such possibility. The author concludes that the gradual development of deflationism leads to negation of essence of this concept. Since the essence of any concept is identified by the definition, the negation of the essence of truth leads to the denial of the possibility of its definition, and this in turn leads to the negation of the criterion of truth, because the correct definition should be formulated as a criterion, because it establishes conditions for the interchangeability of terms.