The Commens Dictionary

Quote from ‘Harvard Lectures on Pragmatism: Lecture VII’

Quote: 

Every man is fully satisfied that there is such a thing as truth, or he would not ask any question. That truth consists in a conformity to something independent of his thinking it to be so, or of any man’s opinion on that subject. But for the man who holds this second opinion, the only reality, there could be, would be conformity to the ultimate result of inquiry. But there would not be any course of inquiry possible except in the sense that it would be easier for him to interpret the phenomenon; and ultimately he would be forced to say that there was no reality at all except that he now at this instant finds a certain way of thinking easier than any other. But that violates the very idea of reality and of truth.

Date: 
1903
References: 
CP 5.211
Citation: 
‘Truth’ (pub. 14.04.13-12:02). Quote in M. Bergman & S. Paavola (Eds.), The Commens Dictionary: Peirce's Terms in His Own Words. New Edition. Retrieved from http://www.commens.org/dictionary/entry/quote-harvard-lectures-pragmatism-lecture-vii-2.
Posted: 
Apr 14, 2013, 12:02 by Sami Paavola
Last revised: 
Jan 07, 2014, 00:58 by Commens Admin