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3 ideas

3. Truth / E. Pragmatic Truth / 1. Pragmatic Truth
Pragmatic 'truth' is a term to cover the many varied aims of enquiry [Peirce, by Misak]
     Full Idea: In Peirce's naturalist view of truth, it is a catch-all for the particular local aims of enquiry - empirical adequacy, predictive power, coherence, simplicity, elegance, explanatory power, a reliable guide to action, fruitfulness, great understanding.
     From: report of Charles Sanders Peirce (works [1892]) by Cheryl Misak - Pragmatism and Deflationism 1
     A reaction: The aims I cited in my thesis on explanation. One given, for me, is that truth is an ideal, which may or may not be attainable, to varying degrees. It is just what thinking aims at. I suspect, though, that these listed items have one thing in common.
Peirce did not think a belief was true if it was useful [Peirce, by Misak]
     Full Idea: Peirce was not in the slightest bit tempted by the thought that a belief is true if it is useful.
     From: report of Charles Sanders Peirce (works [1892]) by Cheryl Misak - Pragmatism and Deflationism 2
     A reaction: All students of the pragmatic theory of truth should start with this idea, because it rejects the caricature view of pragmatic truth, a view which is easily rebutted. James seems to have been guilty of this sin.
If truth is the end of enquiry, what if it never ends, or ends prematurely? [Atkin on Peirce]
     Full Idea: Two related worries about Peirce's account of truth are (from Royce) what are we to make of truth if enquiry never reaches an end, and (from Russell) what are we to make of truth if enquiry ends prematurely?
     From: comment on Charles Sanders Peirce (works [1892]) by Albert Atkin - Peirce 3 'issues'
     A reaction: The defence of Peirce must be that the theory is not holistic - referring to the whole Truth about absolutely everything. The discovery of the periodic table seems to me to support Peirce. In many areas basic enquiry has reached an end.