APPENDIX I 



THE PRAGMATIC METHOD, THE WILL-TO-BELIEVE, 

 AND HUMANISM, IMMEDIATISM 



In almost all expositions of pragmatism that have received 

 wide attention, a foremost place has been given to the so-called 

 'pragmatic method.' In spite of this prominence, the method 

 has been, of all parts of the pragmatists' program, the most 

 generally misunderstood both by the larger public and by the 

 technical reviewers. How far the expositors have been to blame, 

 and how far the incautious readers, we need not determine. But 

 we shall try to profit by the experience of others, by putting 

 into italics a warning against the commonest misunderstanding. 



The pragmatic method is a method of explanation, not of proof. 

 It is used to determine the meaning of propositions; but, except in 

 cases where it turns out that the proposition has no meaning at all, 

 the truth or falsity of the proposition is not brought into question. 

 It is true that the results of the exposition may be seized upon 

 by the 'will-to-believe,' and the alternative of truth or falsity 

 may be thus settled; but that is a further distinct step. 



The method is based upon the following assumption: that 

 every distinction in meaning between ideas is a distinction be- 

 tween possibly desirable modes of conduct. It is inferred, that 

 the meaning of a proposition may be determined by showing 

 the differences in conduct which its truth or falsity would call for ; 

 while a proposition whose truth or falsity can under no con- 

 ceivable circumstances affect the conduct of anyone is meaning- 

 less. Thus the meaning of the existence of God is that a man 

 should persevere in right conduct, despite the apparent triumph 

 of evil ; and the meaning of the freedom of the will is that a man 

 should not commit suicide from fear of ennui, but live in the 

 expectation of continual novelties. 



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