In This Reading James Sets Forth His View of Truth

question 14

True/False

In this reading James sets forth his view of truth. He holds that truth is dynamic rather than static and is to be defined in terms of beliefs that are useful or satisfying. Unlike the "intellectualists" (James's characterization of the traditional static approaches to the question of truth, i.e., the correspondence theorists), truth is in process-still becoming and changing. Yesterday's truth is today's falsehood, and today's truth is tomorrow's half-truth. What really matters is what you can do with an idea, what difference it makes to your life, its (in James's term) "cash-value."
-James says the pragmatic method is a way to settle metaphysical disputes.

---

Definitions:

Improper Fraction

A fraction where the numerator is greater than or equal to the denominator.

Numerator

The top number in a fraction that indicates the number of parts considered, relative to the denominator.

Denominator

The bottom number in a fraction, which represents the total number of equal parts the whole is divided into.

Metric Units

A system of measurement based on powers of ten, including units such as meters, liters, and grams.