Combining Texts

Ideas for 'The Middle Works (15 vols, ed Boydston)', 'The Conscious Mind' and 'Investigations into Logical Deduction'

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2 ideas

11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 3. Value of Knowledge
The value and truth of knowledge are measured by success in activity [Dewey]
     Full Idea: What measures knowledge's value, its correctness and truth, is the degree of its availability for conducting to a successful issue the activities of living beings.
     From: John Dewey (The Middle Works (15 vols, ed Boydston) [1910], 4:180), quoted by David Hildebrand - Dewey 2 'Critique'
     A reaction: Note that this is the measure of truth, not the nature of truth (which James seemed to believe). Dewey gives us a clear and perfect statement of the pragmatic view of knowledge. I don't agree with it.
11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 4. Belief / a. Beliefs
We attribute beliefs to people in order to explain their behaviour [Chalmers]
     Full Idea: Belief is something of an explanatory construct: we attribute beliefs to others largely in order to explain their behaviour.
     From: David J.Chalmers (The Conscious Mind [1996], 1.1.3)