Publisher's Synopsis
Daily News, Chicago, March 15, 1911. -Truth on Trial: An Exposition of the Nature of Truth- is a controversial work by Dr. Paul Carus, in which he discusses the question of -Pragmatism- in philosophy and sets himself to refute the theories and arguments of the late Prof. William James. Dr. Carus' work is scholarly, temperate and deeply philosophic, if not convincingly final in his treatment of the subject. The book is dedicated to the memory of Prof. James -in friendly remembrance of courtesies exchanged in spite of radical differences of opinion.-
The St. Louis Mirror, March 16, 1911. A Philosophic Bout: If you want to enjoy the spectacle of one philosopher metaphorically mopping up the floor with another, get the book Truth on Trial, by Dr. Paul Carus and behold William James' Pragmatism reduced to smithereens. Dr. Carus is a monist, and the way he goes for Professor James' pluralism is a delight. There is nothing left of the philosophy that says -whatever will work out for good is right, - when Dr. Carus is done with it. And the ordinary reader cannot help but see, when the dust of the melee has blown away, that while a truth may thus be determined experimentally, truth cannot. You wouldn't think there could be in these days such a ruction over philosophy, but upon examination you will find that if pragmatism were to prevail absolutely in our thinking there would be nothing to oppose to any wrong strong enough to work things around for goodness to itself. Pragmatism is no philosophy at all. It does not and cannot deal with eternalities and essence. It has value only as applied to temporalities and accidents. Dr. Carus deserves much approval for his convincing onslaught upon materialism and expediency in thinking, for pragmatism is the new big name for the general trend of thought that makes the United States people the most dishonest folk the world has known since the Greeks worshiped their own craft and guile in the story of Ulysses. And Dr. Carus writes as lucidly as Professor James himself did; but - well, Dr. Cams has not made out a case as yet for his fervently upheld monism. -What is truth?- asked Pilate, and he has never been answered except by a sort of tragic aposiopesis in the event following the query-the rabble, to whom he surrendered, crucified it.
