EDUC Pragmatism

PRAGMATISM
by: Gladys G. Astronomo

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this topic, you will be able to:

 Define pragmatism;
 Identify the proponents of pragmatism
 Distinguish the roles and principles of pragmatism in education; and
 To know the roles of a teacher in a pragmatic classroom.

Definition
Pragmatism derives from a Greek word “Pragma” which means “action”. It is the
philosophy of practical experience. Pragmatism is an educational philosophy that that
says education should be teaching students the things that are practical for life and
encourages them to grow into a better people. The idea that beliefs are identified with
the actions of a believer and the truth of beliefs with success of those actions in
securing a believer’s goals: the doctrine that ideas must be looked at in terms of their
practical effects and consequences. According to pragmatism, the truth or meaning of
an idea or a proposition lies in its observable practical consequences rather than
anything metaphysical. It can be summarized by the phrase whatever works, is likely
true. Because reality changes, whatever work will also change - thus, truth must also be
changeable and no one can claim to possess any final or ultimate truth. In other word,
pragmatism is the philosophy that encourages us to seek out the processes and do
things that work best to help us achieve desirable ends ( Ozmon and Craver, 2008).

Pragmatism originates with Charles Sanders Pierce, William James and John
Dewey. Originally developed by Charles Sanders Peirce, pragmatism was expanded
upon and spread by the writings of William James and John Dewey. As a philosophy,
pragmatism holds that the function of human thought can be used for prediction,
action, creativity and problem solving, rather than just mirroring reality. Pragmatism is a
principle of inquiry and an account of meaning first proposed by C. S. Peirce in the
1870s. The crux of Peirce’s pragmatism is that for any statement to be meaningful, it
must have practical bearings. Peirce saw the pragmatic account of meaning as a
method for clearing up metaphysics and aiding scientific inquiry. This has led many to
take Peirce’s early statement of pragmatism as a forerunner of the verifications account
of meaning championed by logical positivists. The early pragmatism of C.S. Peirce
developed through the work of James and Dewey in the U. S. A, and F. C. S. Schiller in
Great Britain. Peirce, however, remained unhappy with both his early formulations and
the developments made by fellow pragmatists. This lead him, in later life, to refine his
own earlier account and rename it “pragmatisms” in order to distinguish it from other
more “nominalist” versions.

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Pragmatism by William James
In 1878, Charles Sanders Peirce came up with the
“pragmatic maxim,” which asks the individual to
consider the effects that might have practical
bearing on how the individual conceives an object.
The conception of the effects is the same as the
conception of the object. Peirce held that inquiry
began with real doubt, becoming a method of
experimental mental reflection.

The first printed use of the word “pragmatism” came

twenty years later, in the work of William James.
Pragmatists believed that philosophy had
degenerated and needed to be more aligned with
the modern scientific method of the late 19th and
early 20th centuries. Well
known rationalist Immanuel Kant, for example, was
criticized by pragmatists, whose ideas were postulating that human knowledge was
somehow beyond what science could explain. According to William James to attain
perfect clearness in our thoughts of an object, then, we need only consider what
conceivable effects of a practical kind the object might involve –what sensations we are
to expect from it, and what reactions we must prepare. Our conception of the effects,
whether immediate or remote, is then for us the whole our conception of the object, so
far as that conception has positive significance at all.” (James 1907)

Pragmatism by John Dewey

John Dewey was a leading proponent of the

American school of thought known as pragmatism,
a view that rejected the dualistic epistemology and
metaphysics of modern philosophy in favour of a
naturalistic approach that viewed knowledge as
arising from an active adaptation of the human
organism to its environment. On this view, inquiry
should not be understood as consisting of a mind
passively observing the world and drawing from
this ideas that if true correspond to reality, but
rather as a process which initiates with a check or
obstacle to successful human action, proceeds to
active manipulation of the environment to test
hypotheses, and issues in a re-adaptation of
organism to environment that allows once again for human action to proceed . With this
view as his starting point, Dewey developed a broad body of work encompassing

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virtually all of the main areas of philosophical concern in his day. He also wrote
extensively on social issues in such popular publications as the New Republic, thereby
gaining a reputation as a leading social commentator of his time.

FORMS OF PRAGMATISM

 HUMANISTIC PRAGMATISM – This type of pragmatism is particularly found

in social sciences. According to it the satisfaction of human nature is the
criterion of utility. In philosophy, in religion and even in science man is the
aim of all thinking and everything else is a means to achieve human
satisfaction.

 EXPERIMENTAL PRAGMATISM- Modern science is based upon

experimental method. The fact that can be ascertained by experiment is true.
No truth is final, truth is known only to the extent it is useful in practice. The
pragmatists use this criterion of truth in every field of life. The human
problems can be solved only through experiment

 NOMINALISTIC PRAGMATISM- When we make any experiment we attend

to the result. Our aim is examination of the material. Some hypothesis about
the results invariably precedes every experiment. According to nominalist
pragmatism, the results of an experiment are always particular and concrete,
never general and abstract.

 BIOLOGICAL PRAGMATISM – Experimentalism of John Dewey is based

upon this biological pragmatism according to which the ultimate aim of all
knowledge is harmony of the man with the environment. Education develops
social skill which facilitates one’s life. The school is a miniature society which
prepares the child for future life.

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PRINCIPLES OF PRAGMATISM

 PLURALISM –Philosophically, the pragmatists are pluralists. According to

them there are as many words as human beings. The ultimate reality is not
one but many. Everyone searches truth and aim of life according to his
experiences.

 EMPHASIS ON CHANGE – The pragmatists emphasize change. The world

is a process, a constant flux. Truth is always in the making. The world is ever
progressing and evolving.

 UTILITARIANISM- Pragmatists are utility is the test of all truth and reality. A
useful principle is true. Utility means fulfillment of human purposes.

 CHANGING AIM AND VALUES - The aim and values of life change in
different times and climes. The old aims and values, therefore, cannot be
accepted as they are. Human life and the world is a laboratory in which the
aims and values are developed.

 INDIVIDUALISM - Pragmatists are individualists. They put maximum

premium upon freedom in human life. Liberty goes with equality and
fraternity. Everyone should adjust to his environment

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 EMPHASIS ON SOCIAL ASPECTS - Since man is a social animal therefore,
he develops in social circumstances. His success is success in society.The
aim of education is to make him successful by developing his social
personality.

 EXPERIMENTALISM - Pragmatists are experimentalists. They give more

importance to action than ideas. Activity is the means to attain the end of
knowledge.

PRAGMATISM AND THE CURRICULUM

 PRINCIPLE OF UTILITY - According to this principle, only those subjects,

activities and experiences should be included in the curriculum which are
useful to the present needs of the child and also meet the future
expectations of adult life as well. As such Language, physical well-being,
physical training, Geography, History, Science, Agriculture and Home
science for girls should be included in the curriculum.

 PRINCIPLE OF INTEREST - According to this principle, only those activities

and experiences where in the child takes interest should be included in the
curriculum. According to John Dewey these interests are of four varieties
namely- (1) interest in conversation, (2) interest in investigation, (3) interest
in construction and (4) interest in creative expression. Keeping these
varieties of interests in view, at the primary stage, the curriculum should
included Reading,Writing, Counting, Art, Craft-work, Natural science and
other practical work of simple nature.

 PRINCIPLE OF EXPERIENCE - The third principle of pragmatic curriculum

is the child’s activity, vocation and experience. All these three should be
closely integrated. The curriculum should consist of such varieties of learning
experiences which promote original thinking and freedom to develop social
and purposeful attitudes.

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 PRINCIPLE OF INTEGRATION - Pragmatic curriculum deals with the
integration of subjects and activities. According to pragmatism knowledge is
one unit. Pragmatists want to construct flexible, dynamic and integrated
curriculum which aids the developing child and the changing society more
and more as the needs, demands and situation require.

EFFECTS OF PRAGMATISM PHILOSOPHY IN EDUCATION

 sThe education’s curriculum content in a pragmatic approach is guided by

four main principles: utility, interest, experience, and integration.
 In the pragmatist point of view, education should have a value for students;
therefore, lessons should be useful for students.
 Schools should focus on planning curriculum contents that will help students
deal with the society in which he is living. 
 The lessons should also be of interest to the students
 Pragmatism also values experiences.
 Teaching method are based on learning by doing.
 Pragmatism encourages a democratic way to learning through purposeful
and cooperative projects and activities.
 Education is not bound to tradition. Pragmatic philosophers advise us to test
everything through our own experience.
 Provides definite aims of education. The student is prepared to live in society
and learn skills and attitudes, which are required of him to live as a useful
member of society.
 The teaching methods are based on learning by doing. The project method is
contribution of pragmatism to modern education.
 Utility in the educative process is the first criterion. The school is expected to
provide learning and experiences that are useful.
 Education us not bound to tradition. Pragmatic philosophers advise us to test
everything our own experience.
 The teacher has to play a very challenging role in the educative process
under pragmatism and he has to be very alert and watchful.                

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PRAGMATISM AND METHOD OF

TEACHING

The principle of philosophy of pragmatic method of teaching is practical

utility. The child is the central figure in this method. Pragmatic method is an
activity-based method. The essence of pragmatic method is learning through
personal experience of the child. To a pragmatist education means
preparation for practical life.

To the pragmatist — “education is not so much teaching the child things he

ought to know, as encouraging him to learn for himself through experimental
and creative activity”. Learning by doing makes a person creative, confident
and cooperative. The pragmatic method is socialistic in nature. His learning
should be thoroughly purposive. He should learn to fulfill the purpose of his
life.

The method employed by the pragmatist teacher is experimental. The pupil

is required to discover the truth for himself. To facilitate this discovery the
application of the inductive and heuristic methods of teaching is necessary.
Experiences should, therefore, be planned to arouse the curiosity of children
to acquire knowledge.

Textbooks and teachers are not so much important in pragmatic education.

Their position is secondary in th teaching- learning process. They are
required to suggest and prompt only. The teacher suggests problems,
indicates the lines of active solution and then leaves the students to
experiment for themselves. The child learns for himself. Pragmatic education
is thus auto-education or self-education.

Pragmatic method is a Project Method which is of American origin. “A project

is a whole-hearted purposeful activity, proceeding in a social environment.”
This definition is given by Kilpatrick, a follower of Dewey. A project has also
been defined in other ways.

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Roles of the Teacher in Pragmatic Classroom

Pragmatism regards teacher as a helper, guide and philosopher. The chief

function of pragmatic teacher is to suggest problems to his pupils and to
stimulate them to find by themselves, the solutions, which will work. The
teacher must provide opportunities for the natural development of innate
qualities of children. His main task is to suggest problems to his pupils and to
guide them to find out solutions.
Can maintain a close relationship, as a friend, philosopher and a guide.
Creates a real life situation where child is interested to solve.
Keep students as a discoverer and experimenter.
Not impose anything, child will decide their own aim and goal.
Not a dictator, only a leader and facilitator.
The teacher’s role in the classroom is more of a facilitator and guide than the
“ sage on the stage”
Teachers are not the only source of knowledge.
Pragmatic teachers helps students in taking action.
The teacher creates lessons were students solve real –word problems.
The teacher creates lessons were students solve real –word problems.
Result and process oriented.

DISCIPLINE
To utilize the interest of the pupil is the basis of discipline here. The teacher
and pupils attack a problem jointly. Teacher’s role is that of a guide and a
director; it is the pupil who acts, learning this becomes a cooperative venture-
a joint enterprise. Pursuit of common purposes enforces it own order.
Education becomes a social process of sharing between the members of the
various groups and all are equal partners in the process. That is no rewards
also there are no placing for the martinet so any punishments. The discipline
proceeds from the life of the school as a whole.

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Conclusion
The student-centered curriculum calls for team teaching and courses
offered by different departments. Projects and hands-on experiences have
definite advantages over lectures. According to pragmatists, this
methodology focuses on giving students a great deal of autonomy as well as
alternatives to their current learning circumstances. The learning environment
turns into a methodical laboratory in which thoughts are experienced to
determine whether they can be authenticated. Pragmatic philosophy is a
practical philosophy, having no fixed or absolute standards. Man always
creates new values and education should help him in doing so. Being
practical and utilitarian school of philosophy, pragmatism has influenced
education to the maximum extent. It has tried overcoming the limitations of
other schools like idealism and naturalism and has influenced world in a
great deal.

References
 Alexander, T. (1987). John Dewey’s theory of art, experience, and nature.
SUNY Press
 Bohac, P., (2001, February 6). Dewey's pragmatism. Chapter 4 Pragmatism
and
 Ozmon, H.A. & Craver, S.M. (2008). Philosophical foundations of education
(8th ed.). Columbus, Ohio: Prentice- Hall Inc.
 Welchman, J. (1995). Dewey’s ethical thought. Ithaca: Cornell University
Press.

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