Pragmatism refers to work that is based on ideas of what actions and steps are necessary for the achievement of a predefined purpose. The actions taken in a pragmatic approach have been thoroughly thought out and properly planned, and the actors have concluded that a specific sequence of actions has the best chance of providing the desired result. Pragmatists base their ideas on observable results from past actions, ideas and consequences. They then use the information they have been provided with to select the series of actions that will be most profitable to the achievement of their intended goals.
It can be defined literally as work. A more precise definition is that, using our ideas with a predefined purpose, we base actions on those ideas to determine whether or not the purpose can be achieved through them. During this process, we encounter consequences, which are of varying desirability. Pragmatists believe we should select the ideas, actions, and consequences with the most desirable outcome as well as learn from previous experiences to ensure that we apply the same ideas and actions in later situations to achieve similarly desirable consequences. Pragmatism focuses on dynamic problem solving, rather than learning the basics.
Charles S. Peirce was a notable pragmatist philosopher who believed that our actions stem from our views and theories about life. He pointed out that human behavior and theories shift with the changing tides of politics and society and that instead, we should be in constant pursuit of self-improvement and try our best to act correctly.
William James believed that humans create ideas out of a need to select appropriate actions for the future. He suggested that the decisions we make are guided by our observations from the consequences of various actions. He believed that the principles and philosophies we adopt as a result of our experiences determine our personal moral compass. I see this taken shape in my 4, soon to be 5 year old son Matthias. His decisions are guided by the consequences or rewards that come along with his actions.
Experimentalism and the problem-solving method impacted the rise of pragmatism and their creator, John Dewey, believed in the importance of searching for truth. Experimentalism suggests that since the earth is continually changing, it is not possible for there to be universal truths. Dewey believed that thinking makes problem-solving possible and correct thinking could help a person choose the right set of actions on the road to finding absolute truth. He created a method known as inductive reasoning.
The steps involved in inductive reason or the problem-solving method are:
- Acknowledge the existence of a problem.
- Define the problem.
- Propose potential solutions.
- Suggest possible consequences.
- Use the information gathered from your experiments and observations to determine whether the idea can be considered an absolute truth.
Pragmatist educators don’t believe that students should only receive preparation to function in specific roles in society; they consider the school environment to be the bridge between the students’ lives at home and their lives at school. A pragmatist school environment seeks to help students develop their social and mental skills. Students will be challenged constantly at a pace they can keep up with, but have to push themselves to do so. Teachers constantly present the students with problems that they have to solve using a pragmatic approach, an exercise that will strengthen their critical thinking skills.
The teaching methods used in a pragmatic education setting are usually flexible. They often tailor the curriculum to suit the collective and individual needs of their students. Regardless of whether a school decides to use a pragmatist model, it is still important to implement pragmatist principles into your teaching philosophy.
