Meaning of Truth

"All the work of my pen that bears directly on the truth-question" Pragmatism is the most famous single work of American philosophy. Its sequel, The Meaning of Truth, is its imperative and inevitable companion. "William James describes a man who got the experience from laughing-gas; whenever he was under its influence, he knew the secret of the universe, but when he came to, he had forgotten it. At last, with immense effort, he wrote down the secret before the vision had faded. When completely recovered, he rushed to see what he had written. It was: "A smell of petroleum prevails throughout." - Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy Contents Preface I. The Function of Cognition II. The Tigers in India III. Humanism and Truth IV. The Relation Between Knower and Known V. The Essence of Humanism VI. A Word More About Truth VII. Professor Pratt on Truth VIII. The Pragmatist Account of Truth and its Misunderstanders IX. The Meaning of the Word Truth X. The Existence of Julius C�sar XI. The Absolute and the Strenuous Life XII. Professor H�bert on Pragmatism XIII. Abstractionism and "Relativismus" XIV. Two English Critics XV. A Dialogue