Summary
William James's "The Meaning of Truth" argues that the meaning of the word "true" as applied to a statement requires reference to the statement's functional possibilities and "workings." Truth is not an inherent, static quality, but rather an "expedient in the way of our thinking." A statement or belief is true when its being true makes a concrete, different experience in actual life compared to its being false. This "agreement with reality" means being guided toward the object, put into working touch with it, or handling it better, either intellectually or practically.
This sequel to "Pragmatism" elaborates on the pragmatic definition of truth, which James contends is essential for understanding the cognitive relation between an idea and its object. The book addresses criticisms of this view and clarifies that truth is about the "expedient" in thought, akin to how rightness is the "expedient" in behavior. Readers will grasp James's assertion that the logical content of truth lies in its practical and intellectual utility in our engagement with reality.
Key concepts
- Functional possibilities — The concrete differences in experience that an idea's truth makes compared to its falsity.
- The expedient in the way of our thinking — James's concise definition of truth, meaning what is practically or intellectually useful in our thought processes.
- Working touch — The state of being practically or intellectually engaged with reality or its connections, leading to better handling of situations.
- Agreement with reality — Not a passive coexistence, but an active engagement that guides us toward an object or into its surroundings.
- Radical empiricism — A broader philosophical notion that James connects to the idea of truth as "working."
From the book
It is always the 'speechlessness' of sensation, its inability to make
Now, our supposed little feeling gives a WHAT; and if other feelings
Let the Q be fragrance, let it be toothache, or let it be a more complex