Synthesized answer
James means by "truth happens to an idea" that truth is not a static property inherent in an idea, but rather something that is acquired through a process [1]. An idea "becomes true" and "is made true by events" [1]. Its verity is an event, a process of its verifying itself [1]. This process involves the idea's "cash-value in experiential terms" [1].
Specifically, true ideas are those that can be assimilated, validated, corroborated, and verified [1]. The "chain of workings which an opinion sets up" constitutes its truth or falsehood [2]. When an idea brings a person into closer touch with reality, leading to satisfactorily-ending consequences, mental or physical, this constitutes verification and validation [3]. The existence of a "fundamentum of circumstance surrounding object and idea" which allows for a satisfactory passage between them is what constitutes the relation known as truth [5].
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
experiences [may] be different from those which would obtain if the belief were false? How will the truth be realized? What, in short, is the truth's cash-value in experiential terms?" The moment pragmatism asks this question, it sees the answer: TRUE IDEAS ARE THOSE THAT WE CAN ASSIMILATE, VALIDATE, CORROBORATE, AND VERIFY. FALSE IDEAS ARE THOSE THAT WE CANNOT. That is the practical difference it makes to us to have true ideas; that therefore is the meaning of truth, for it is all that truth is known as. 'The truth of an idea is not a stagnant property inherent in it. Truth HAPPENS…
on, and therefore describable as well as namable; that it is not unique in kind, and neither invariable nor universal. The relation to its object that makes an idea true in any given instance, is, we say, embodied in intermediate details of reality which lead towards the object, which vary in every instance, and which in every instance can be concretely traced. The chain of workings which an opinion sets up IS the opinion's truth, falsehood, or irrelevancy, as the case may be. Every idea that a man has works some consequences in him, in the shape either of bodily actions or of other…
by a vision quite as particular and direct as was the taste of the beer. If he does so, he calls THAT idea, also, true. His idea has, in each case, brought him into closer touch with a reality felt at the moment to verify just that idea. Each reality verifies and validates its own idea exclusively; and in each case the verification consists in the satisfactorily-ending consequences, mental or physical, which the idea was able to set up. These 'workings' differ in every single instance, they never transcend experience, they consist of particulars, mental or sensible, and they admit of…
ce, when the falsehood of ideas that won't work is explained by that existence as well as the truth of those that will. I find this abuse prevailing among my most accomplished adversaries. But once establish the proper verbal custom, let the word 'truth' represent a property of the idea, cease to make it something mysteriously connected with the object known, and the path opens fair and wide, as I believe, to the discussion of radical empiricism on its merits. The truth of an idea will then mean only its workings, or that in it which by ordinary psychological laws sets up those…
of the object itself, if we were led up to it by our idea, would be to pass on to those connected things by its means. So we continually curtail verification-processes, letting our belief that they are possible suffice. What CONSTITUTES THE RELATION known as truth, I now say, is just the EXISTENCE IN THE EMPIRICAL WORLD OF THIS FUNDAMENTUM OF CIRCUMSTANCE SURROUNDING OBJECT AND IDEA and ready to be either short-circuited or traversed at full length. So long as it exists, and a satisfactory passage through it between the object and the idea is possible, that idea will both BE true, and…