PRAG

MATIS
M
PRESENTED BY: JOANN MARIE J. OÑASA
Can I ask somebody to give their
ideas when you hear the word
pragmatism?
Pragmatism
✗ The word “pragmatism” is ✗ Derived from Greek word
a peice of technical “pragma” which means to do,
terminology in philosophy to make, to accomplish. So
refers to a specific set the use of words like ‘action’
associated philosophical or ‘practice’ or ‘activity’.
views originating in the
nineteenth-century.
✗ Pragmatism is a philosophical movement that includes those who claim that an
ideology or proposition is true if it works satisfactorily, that the meaning of a
proposition is to be found in the practical consequences of accepting it, and that
unpractical ideas are to be rejected.

✗ The pragmatic paradigm refers to a worldview that focuses on “what works”

rather than what might be considered absolutely and objectively “true” or
“real.” Early pragmatists rejected the idea that social inquiry using a single
scientific method could access truths regarding the real world. These
pragmatists declared that truth could be judged by its consequences. The
pragmatic paradigm is useful for guiding research design, especially when a
combination of different approaches is philosophically inconsistent.
✗ Action get priority over
thought. Exeperience is the
centre of the universe.
Everyone is tested on the
touch-stone of experience.
Beliefs and ideas are true if
they are workable and
profitable otherwise false.
✗ Pragmatism began in the
United States in the
1870’s. Its origin is
attributed to the
philosophers Charles
Sanders Peirce, William
James and John Dewey.
 Philosophers

Charles Sanders Peirce William James John Dewey

 Forms of Pragmatism
1. Humanistic Pragmatism
- According to this ‘whatever fulfils one’s purpose, satisfies one’s
desire, develops one’s life, and is true’. It maintains what satisfies the
human nature is only true and real.

2. Biological Pragmatism
-According to this the capacity of a human being is valuable and
important which enables him to adjust with the environment or makes
him able to change his environment according to his needs and
requirements.
3. 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.
Principle of Pragmatism
✗ Experience is the central idea in pragmatism. 
✗ There are no absolute values of life. 
✗ Action is real and ideas are tools. 
✗ Man is an active being. 
✗ Man has the ability to solve his problems. 
✗ Utilitarian aspect is supreme. 
✗ Past has little value. 
✗ Present and future are more important.
Pragmatism approach to research
✗ Pragmatism research philosophy accepts concepts to be
relevant only if they support action.

✗ Pragmatics recognize that there are many different ways of

interpreting the world and undertaking research, that no
single point of view can ever give the entire picture and that
there may be multiple realities.
✗ Involves using the method which appears best suited to the
research problem. Pragmatism represents the single most
appropriate approach to mixed method studies (Morgan,
2007)

✗ Mixed Methods, design-based research, action research.

The generic (not specific) approach used by the researchers,
which include the methods of data collection to data
analysis to conduct their research (Silverman, 2016)
 Mixed Method Definition
✗ Research that involves collecting, analyzing and interrelating
✗ Quantitative (experiments, surveys) and 
✗ Qualitative (focus groups, Interviews) research (Creswell ,2011)
 Pragmatism approach To
research
✗ It holds the most ✗ Ontology
important  Reality is the practical effects of
determinant of the ideas.
epistomology,  Defined as “the science or study of
ontology, and being” and it deals with the nature
axiology adopted in of reality.
research question.  Ontology is a system of belief that
reflects an interpretation by an
individual about what constitutes a
fact.
✗ Epistemology ✗ Axiology
 Knowledge based on  Man, being a part of society,
experience is true. All the consequences of his
that can be known is actions are either good or
dependent upon bad. If the consequences are
experience. worthwhile, then the value of
 Philosophical the action is proven to be
perspectives, a system of good.
generalized views of the  Values change according to
world, which form difference in time and space.
beliefs that guide action.
 References
✗ https://www.slideshare.net/fLairfLing/pragmatism-79686157
✗ https://www.slideshare.net/ayoubbabar/pragmatic-approach-to-research-
85667510
✗ https://www.slideshare.net/arshababu2018/pragmatism-120459444
✗ https://methods.sagepub.com/reference/the-sage-encyclopedia-of-
educational-research-measurement-and-evaluation/i16337.xml
✗ https://iep.utm.edu/pragmati/#:~:text=Pragmatism%20is%20a
%20philosophical%20movement,ideas%20are%20to%20be%20rejected.
✗ https://slideplayer.com/slide/10447645/
Thank
you!