How do Realism and Pragmatism differ in their conceptions of truth?

• A. Realism sees truth as subjective and constructed; Pragmatism sees truth as provisional and validated by practical consequences.
• B. Realism sees truth as objective and discoverable; Pragmatism sees truth as provisional and validated by practical consequences.
• C. Realism claims truth is relative; Pragmatism denies truth claims.
• D. Realism equates truth with moral norms; Pragmatism equates truth with cultural conventions.

Answer: (B)

Truth in Realism is treated as mind-independent and discoverable: a statement is true if it corresponds to how things actually are in the world, regardless of what anyone believes or does. This means our goal in inquiry is to uncover facts about reality, and there is a goal to get as close as possible to those facts through investigation and evidence.

In Pragmatism, truth is evaluated by its practical fruit: a belief is true if it proves useful, works well in guiding action, and survives experience and testing. Because usefulness can change with new circumstances or tests, truth is seen as provisional and revisable in light of new outcomes.

So the best answer ties Realism to objectivity and discoverability, and Pragmatism to provisional status judged by practical consequences. The other descriptions mischaracterize Realism as subjective or relative, or misstate Pragmatism as denying truth or aligning it with moral norms or cultural conventions.