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Full Idea
The question whether objective truth can be attributed to human thinking is not a question of theory but is a practical question; man must prove the truth of his thinking in practice.
Gist of Idea
Whether human thinking can be 'true' must be decided in practice, not theory
Source
Karl Marx (Theses on Feuerbach [1846], §II)
Book Ref
Marx,K./Engels,F.: 'The German Ideology', ed/tr. Arthur,C.J. [Lawrence and Wishart 1985], p.121
A Reaction
This would appear to be an assertion of the pragmatic view of truth well before Peirce. The obvious objections arise, such as whether falsehood (Plato's 'noble lie') might not have equal practical success, and whether truth might be disastrous.
| 22598 | The authentic self exists at the level of class, rather than the individual [Marx, by Dunt] |
| 5297 | Whether human thinking can be 'true' must be decided in practice, not theory [Marx] |
| 5298 | The human essence is not found in individuals but in social relations [Marx] |
| 5299 | Religious feeling is social in origin [Marx] |
| 5300 | Philosophers have interpreted the world, but the point is to change it [Marx] |