The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-05-28

seek for a test Of truth IN all three
departments Of experience. In Science
this test IS clear. but the peculiar
nature Of the two other sorts Of ex-
perience seem to lead TO logical con-
t~radictions. since there does not exist
that duality between subject and fact
which is the. characteristic Of physical
science. [Fhe difficulty can only. De
met by the attempt ID reduce the
test Of truth IN psychology and IN
religion to the norn1s already set mp
by physical science, since IN this
realm the facts are clear.
Now in science the test Of the truth
Of an idea is sought. not in IFS origin,
nor in its logical relations. but in its
results. VIII this theory work; does
II enable us to predict truly, 10 bet
ter adapt ourselves? That is the
question. We verify our theories BY
acting as though they We're true, and
noting the conseCr.ences Of our &C
ton. 1t is then action which IS the
test Of truth. Now pragmatism
1pragma-action) is the attempt to ap-
ply this same test to the truth OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL and Of religious eXpe-
rience. our religion turns out to be
true for Just the same reason thai
our science is true. 1t works, IKE
our psychology and our science; 1t
brings serenity, peace. moral power.
TJhe cure of evils. even physical ones
recalcitrant to scientific treatment. or
again. q faith. ar ardour and an en-
thusiasm which transform the per
~sonalfty to its very depths and which
confer upon it an extraordinary pow
er over itself ana over the spirits Of
other men
~praSlnatism is thus a method, not
a dogma. a method which consists in
interpreting all concepts in terms Of
action The only practicable test of
q philosophic theor is to be sought
in the way in which it will influence
our conduct. Viewed in this light,
the "Absolute" of the Idealists turns
out to be a barren creation Of dialec-
tic. OF no influence in the world. and
sc alSe. For the universe is not the
finished barren unity which the ideal
lists hold, but DluraliStic. unfinished,
q universe demanding the
ton Of man with God in working out
more and more fully the triumph Of
gOod over evil.
It is in line with the Importance
given to action by this philosophy
hat its author was led to formulate
a system Of education. Human edu-
cation. James held, must be first Of
all mechanical. it must deal with the
requirement of habits. which become
more automatic the more they are
perfected. But this is only the first
stage. for the essential thing about
human consciousness is after all it's
power of choice. Education must
then give Elasticity in the higher
realms of mind. And finally. it must
be moral. it must each what to
choose. Only in the intimate union
Of virtue with the ~unrenitting pur-
suit Of the ideal does human life be-
come truly great.
With admirable clarity and pre-
cision Boutroux sets forth in the
brief limits which he has allowed
himself the outlines of James's sys-
tern. That his theories are not sc
simple as Boutroux makes them is
perhaps not a serious criticism; il
would. indeed be a suDerhuman TASK
to give in a hundred briof pa e ar
adequate account of Janres's psychol.
ogy, his philosophy. and his pedagogy
Indeed. there IS a certain advantag
in the brevity with which the cen
trail unifylng views Of pragmatisn
t are presented: the dominant though
'Of the system becomes thus yer,
easy to grasp.
; The philosophical chapter and tina
on religious psychology are withou
doubt the best Of the book. Less ca,
a be said for the chapters on p~sycholog,
: and pedagogy. The former is quit
Inadequate to Give any Just concep
ton of what James stood for il
: psychology. His theoretical point 0
view W. do find, with a brief accoun
i Of his famous theory of emotion, and
relocated to the peda gogical chapter
T his views Of the importance Of habi
: and Of adaptation. But there ar
e other permanent contributions t
e. psychology linked with the name O
q James which it is rather surprisin
8 to find omitted. The theories Of tn
importance Of instinct in human Lii
which James was the first psycholo
e gist adequately to discuss have be
IS come almost the foundation of OF
) present theories of Individual de
velopment. and are remaking our sc
cial psychology: yet there is not mer
It ton Of his work in this field. Again
le the part played by attention in h
system is fundamental. yet it is mer