We can see here, pragmatism’s unique approach. Truth is seen as a means to an end -- that end being positive action -- and the verification of that truth comes from its implementation.
Peirce was arguably the most influential member of the metaphysical club, leaving a lasting imprint on Western philosophy. In his 1877 paper, “The Fixation of Belief,” Peirce begins by examining what he later determines to be the foundation of belief (in Philosophy after Darwin, 2021). Much like truth for James, belief for Peirce is that which helps to satisfy our needs. If ever we are in doubt, we cease to be successful in our own satisfaction; so, doubt is the posing of a question and belief is the proposition of an answer, supported by the way the world is. Doubt is a state in which we are unable to act, therefore, for the pragmatists, it must be replaced with belief. For example, if I want a cup of tea, but do not know where the kettle is, then I have doubt and am unable to fulfill my desire. The only action I can take is to come to a true belief about where the kettle is. This belief would be “a guide to action” and I would be able to fulfill my desire for a cup of tea (Albert Atkin, Peirce, 2015). This, for Peirce, is akin to the process of scientific enquiry: that which moves us from the troubling state of doubt to the fulfillment of belief. Therefore, a belief is justified by pragmatic means if it proves useful to our success and satisfaction. The function of a belief for Peirce and the pragmatists is primarily to guide action rather than to grasp truth, even suggesting, like James does, that truth can be defined in terms of positive action.
We see how in the case of both James and Peirce, potentially abstract metaphysical or idealist concepts are given grounding in communal experience and activity. Cheryl Misak describes the success of pragmatism, explaining that,