more on this theme     |     more from this thinker


Single Idea 18983

[filed under theme 3. Truth / C. Correspondence Truth / 3. Correspondence Truth critique ]

Full Idea

When you speak of the 'time-keeping function' of a clock, it is hard to see exactly what your ideas can copy. ...Where our ideas cannot copy definitely their object, what does agreement with that object mean?

Gist of Idea

In many cases there is no obvious way in which ideas can agree with their object

Source

William James (Pragmatism - eight lectures [1907], Lec 6)

Book Ref

James,William: 'Pragmatism - eight lectures' [Dover 1995], p.77


A Reaction

This is a very good criticism of the correspondence theory of truth. It looks a lovely theory when you can map components of a sentence (like 'the pen is in the drawer') onto components of reality - but it has to cover the hard cases.


The 20 ideas from 'Pragmatism - eight lectures'

Ideas are true in so far as they co-ordinate our experiences [James]
New opinions count as 'true' if they are assimilated to an individual's current beliefs [James]
Truth is a species of good, being whatever proves itself good in the way of belief [James]
Theories are practical tools for progress, not answers to enigmas [James]
We return to experience with concepts, where they show us differences [James]
Private experience is the main evidence for God [James]
It is hard to grasp a cosmic mind which produces such a mixture of goods and evils [James]
The wonderful design of a woodpecker looks diabolical to its victims [James]
Things with parts always have some structure, so they always appear to be designed [James]
If there is a 'greatest knower', it doesn't follow that they know absolutely everything [James]
'Substance' is just a word for groupings and structures in experience [James]
Pragmatism says all theories are instrumental - that is, mental modes of adaptation to reality [James]
True thoughts are just valuable instruments of action [James]
Truth is just a name for verification-processes [James]
In many cases there is no obvious way in which ideas can agree with their object [James]
True ideas are those we can assimilate, validate, corroborate and verify (and false otherwise) [James]
A 'thing' is simply carved out of reality for human purposes [James]
Pragmatism accepts any hypothesis which has useful consequences [James]
If the God hypothesis works well, then it is true [James]
Nirvana means safety from sense experience, and hindus and buddhists are just afraid of life [James]