Full Idea
On pragmatistic principles, if the hypothesis of God works satisfactorily in the widest sense of the word, it is true.
Gist of Idea
If the God hypothesis works well, then it is true
Source
William James (Pragmatism - eight lectures [1907], Lec 8)
Book Reference
James,William: 'Pragmatism - eight lectures' [Dover 1995], p.115
A Reaction
The truth of God's existence certainly is a challenging test case for the pragmatic theory of truth, and James really bites the bullet here. Pragmatism may ultimately founder on the impossibility of specifying what 'works satisfactorily' means.