Sure, people usually argue whether something is “true or false” because such status makes a difference (at least potentially) to their pain or pleasure, happiness, utility, etc.
So you say. I can think of two arguments against that: people acquire true beliefs that
aren’t immediately useful, and untrue beliefs can be pleasing.
I never said they had to be “immediately useful” (hardly anything ever is). Untrue beliefs might be pleasing, but when people are arguing truth and falsehood it is not in order to prove that the beliefs they hold are untrue so that they can enjoy believing them, so it’s not an objection either.
A lot of people care about truth, even when (I suspect) they diminish their enjoyment needlessly by doing so, so no argument there. In the parent I’m just continuing to try to explain why my stance might sound weird. My point from farther above, though, is just that I don’t/wouldn’t care about “truth” in those rare and odd cases where it is already part of the premises that truth or falsehood will not affect me in any way.
So you say. I can think of two arguments against that: people acquire true beliefs that aren’t immediately useful, and untrue beliefs can be pleasing.
I never said they had to be “immediately useful” (hardly anything ever is). Untrue beliefs might be pleasing, but when people are arguing truth and falsehood it is not in order to prove that the beliefs they hold are untrue so that they can enjoy believing them, so it’s not an objection either.
You still don’t have a good argument to the effect that no one cares about truth per se.
A lot of people care about truth, even when (I suspect) they diminish their enjoyment needlessly by doing so, so no argument there. In the parent I’m just continuing to try to explain why my stance might sound weird. My point from farther above, though, is just that I don’t/wouldn’t care about “truth” in those rare and odd cases where it is already part of the premises that truth or falsehood will not affect me in any way.
I think ‘usually” is enough qualification, especially considering that he says ‘makes a difference’ and not ’completely determines”