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Single Idea 18986

[from 'Pragmatism - eight lectures' by William James, in 3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 9. Rejecting Truth ]

Full Idea

Truth for us is simply a collective name for verification-processes, just as 'health' is a name for other processes in life.

Gist of Idea

Truth is just a name for verification-processes

Source

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

Book Reference

James,William: 'Pragmatism - eight lectures' [Dover 1995], p.84


A Reaction

So the slogan is 'truth is success in belief'? Suicide and racist genocide can be 'successful'. I would have thought that truth was the end of a process, rather than the process itself.