Note 11 — Chapter II · The Interpretation Given to Pragmatism by James.
Reading edition
It is interesting to see that Peirce had the following comment to make in 1878 upon the utility of truth. “Logicality in regard to practical matters is the most useful quality an animal can possess, and might, therefore, result from the action of natural selection; but outside of these it is probably of more advantage to the animal to have his mind filled with pleasing and encouraging visions, independently of their truth; and thus upon impractical subjects, natural selection might occasion a fallacious tendency of thought”. (From the first article in the series “Illustrations of the Logic of Science”, Popular Science Monthly, vol. 12, p. 3). Return