THE PRAGMATIST THEORY OF TRUTH AS EPISTEMIC FOUNDATIONS FOR ACTION

Abstract

This work attempts to examine the import of the pragmatist perspective on truth as it pertains to human choice and action. Classical pragmatism argues that truth belongs to a transformative role of knowledge hence, pragmatists discountenance the correspondence theories of truth and knowledge. This explains for them the epistemic value of utility. Pragmatists held that there is an important place in the universe for human choice and initiative. Pragmatists are opposed to philosophical system which regard the world as finished, complete or impervious to effects of choice. William James argues that pragmatism is a way of distilling the genuine human significance from obscure philosophical theories and debates. Hence, true ideas are just those that can be verified, or these that are useful. Dewey reworked pragmatist theories within a naturalistic framework which sets out from biological description of living organisms and their relations to their environments, and emphasizes also the importance of social interactions in human life. He argues that intelligence is a means for humans to transform their environment in order to deal with the problems posed by uncertainty and change in natural events. Dewey sees theories of truth as correspondence as aimed at inventing magical relations between thought and the world in order to overcome nonexistent problems. In consequence, pragmatism is seen to have diverse implications for reality and philosophy. Of the all has been said it is argued whether pragmatists succeeded in devising an alternative view of truth. In conclusion pragmatism has come to be a paradigm for the evaluation and assessment of value and judgment.