Exemplars of truth /

Lehrer (emer., Univ. of Arizona) has been a towering figure in epistemology for 50 years. Exemplars of Truth presents not only a summary but also a synthesis of the development of the themes that run throughout his work on knowledge, self-trust, consciousness, and autonomy. What is particularly new is the development of his account of exemplar representation. For Lehrer, knowledge is an internal capacity to locally justify or meet objections (defensibility) to the target claim in terms of an evaluative, background system. What is novel here is how experience relates to the background system. Lehrer argues that conscious experience is self-representational, and that the acceptance of that representation incorporates the experience that makes it true. Reflection on experience turns the experience into an exemplar. The exemplar representation extends itself to represent the world and secure truth about the world. Written in a straightforward, engaging style, this volume reinforces why Lehrer is a canonical figure in analytic epistemology. Not only will Exemplars of Truth will be of interest for those concerned with Lehrer's work, but Lehrer's development of exemplar representation will surely generate new discussion in epistemology and philosophy of mind. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. --James McBain, Pittsburg State University