Single Idea 6441

[catalogued under 12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 3. Pragmatism]

Full Idea

Pragmatism holds that a belief is to be judged if it has certain effects, whereas I hold that an empirical belief is to be judged true if it has certain kinds of causes.

Gist of Idea

Pragmatism judges by effects, but I judge truth by causes

Source

Bertrand Russell (My Philosophical Development [1959], Ch.15)

Book Reference

Russell,Bertrand: 'My Philosophical Development' [Routledge 1993], p.131


A Reaction

I'm with Russell here, and this seems to me a convincing objection to pragmatism. The simple problem is that falsehoods can occasionally have very beneficial effects. Beliefs are made true by the facts, not by their consequences.