Pragmatisme, soos William James dit in 1907 beskryf het, sê ‘n idee is waar as dit in die praktyk werk: as dit ons help om ons pad te vind, te voorspel en te lewe. Ware idees werk gewoonlik wel, maar party leuens werk ook, altans ‘n ruk lank. Idees werk eerder omdat hulle waar is, nie andersom nie.
Pragmatism, as William James described it in 1907, says an idea is true when it works in practice: when it helps us find our way, predict and live. True ideas usually do work, but some lies work too, at least for a while. Ideas tend to work because they are true, not the other way round.