Deflationary realism: social imaginaries, evaluative frameworks and the natural environment

Glen Lehman, Renée Palmer and Patricia Walford

Chapter 39 in Handbook of Critical Environmental Accountability and Sustainability, 2026, pp 586-610 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The chapter follows the accounting work of Brian Shapiro (1995) and the philosophical ideas of John Searle, exploring ontological realism to understand the possible meanings of ‘Nature’. Searle identifies six theses as vital to this tradition, which involves knowledge of a mind-independent reality. It is expressed in public language and contains true propositions. It is argued that these propositions are true because they accurately represent reality, and knowledge is arrived at by applying and being subject to the constraints of rationality and logic.

Keywords: Social; Reality; Realism; Deflationary Realism; Representational Faithful (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781802201765
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