On Partial Truths in Science. Some Remarks on Susan Haack’s "The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth"

Abstract

The article is a commentary to Susan Haack’s The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth. It consists of two parts. In the first one some doubts about Haack’s conception of partiality of truth are formulated. However, Haack’s concept of truth is treated as one of the assumptions and not brought up for discussion. In the second part of the article a simple typology of possible sources of truth’s partiality in science is presented. The list includes deliberate and unintentional omissions, misleading, lack of scientific interest, unattainability, and epistemological problems with truth and realism.