| Beginning with consideration of pragmatic theory of truth, this paper deals mainly with its theoretical basis and basic principles, including author抯 comments on it as well, pragmatism negates ontology, against materialist theory of reflection and mirrotimage metaphor, breaking away 4 from the traditional dualistic way of thinking: pragmatism advocates anti梤epresentationism, brings traditional theory of knowledge to an end, and repudiate methodology. Pragmatism d~prives truth of its external basis, thus of its material resource. Truth is merely the unity of ideas, a convenient notion of inter subjective solidarity. Truth suits to each individual and is ultimately useful to each individual. This totally negates the objective properties of truth as taking inter subjectivity and solidarity to explain objectivity. This takes a person抯 immediate affection條ike or dislike梐s the criteria of truth. It equates the factual criteria to the subjective criteria of value, negates the existence of a common objective criterion, thus becomes idealistic in nature. Pragmatic theory of truth overstates the relativity of knowledge, negates totaIly~ theezrs~tence of absolute truth and advocates a subjective, relative, .pluralistic theory of truth. Nevertheless, it still contains some points worth positive: it overcomes the short comings of traditional philosophy, relates truth to value in consideration, advocating truth and value are correlated to each other; it emphasizes as well the conversation, exchange and discussion between different opinions and ideas in the quest for truth. We have to stick to Marxist dialectical negation and historical materialism, thus sublate pragmatism, we should by no means totally negate it nor we can. We need to discard the dross and select the essence, taking it as a means to enrich and develop Maxist theory of truth. |
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