Types of Pragmatism | Philosophy of Education | 8609 |

  QUESTION

Describe the types of pragmatism.

Course: Philosophy of Education

Course code 8609

Level: B.Ed Solved Assignment 

ANSWER

PRAGMATISM

One of the most important schools of philosophy of education is pragmatism. The term pragmatism has been derived from the Greek term pragma which means use. Thus pragmatism is an ism according to which use is the criteria of reality.  Pragmatism as a philosophical tradition began in the United States around 1870.  Charles Sanders Peirce is generally considered to be its founder.

Pragmatism rejects the idea that the function of thought is to describe, represent, or mirror reality. Instead, pragmatists consider thought an instrument or tool for prediction, problem-solving, and action. Pragmatists contend that most philosophical topics—such as the nature of knowledge, language, concepts, meaning, belief, and science—are all best viewed in terms of their practical uses and successes. The philosophy of pragmatism emphasizes the practical application of ideas by acting on them to actually test them in human experiences.

 

Forms of Pragmatism

According to H.H. Home, "The main principle of pragmatism is that the theories that work are true". As E.S. Brightman maintains, "Primarily, pragmatism is a criterion of truth." According to them everyone should discover his truth according to his experience and commonsense. The following four types of pragmatism are distinguished according to emphasis:

1.  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. All truths are human truths. As the British humanist philosopher F.C.S. Schiller pointed out, "Some London squires are circular". Contradiction in this statement disappears when we know that the term squire here means the meeting of roads and not the geometrical figure known by this name. Similar instances may be multiplied in different social sciences. 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.

2.  Experimental pragmatism.

 Modern science is based on experimental methods. The fact that can be ascertained by experiment is true. In other words, whatever works in the real world is the truth. The truth of a theory in science can be ascertained by its workability. 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 field of experiment, however, is the widest in the field of science In science, experiment is the only basis for arriving at a conclusion in a controversial matter. Human problems can be solved only through experiments. This is true even in the field of religion. In his famous book Varieties of Religious Experience William James has advised that everyone should discover his God, mode of worship, and man-God relationship by experiments in his own life. No other proof is required for a belief. By experimenting in a field of life, one may know what to believe and what not to believe, what to do and what not to do. Whatever is proved by experience is true.

3.  Nominalistic pragmatism.

 When we do any experiment we attend to the result. Our aim is an examination of the material. Some hypothesis about the results invariably precedes every experiment. According to nominalistic pragmatism, the results of an experiment are always particular and concrete, never general and abstract. According to medieval European nominalistic philosophy, a  universal is only a name. While only particulars exist, the universals have no concrete existence. For example, while we find existing human individuals, we do not find humanity outside these individuals. In the words of E.S. Brightman, "This kind of pragmatism is closely affiliated with sense experience as a criterion for the particulars that we meet are mostly sense data, including their relations". In the field of education, emphasis is laid on concrete particular things and their experiences in comparison to verbal knowledge.

4.  Biological pragmatism.

According to John Dewey, "The pragmatic test is found in the function of thought in adapting the human organism to its environment". The 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 that prepares the child for future life. From the biological point of view, man is a psycho-somatic being. Every day we begin our work utilizing set habits. Suppose someday we receive a letter that raises a problem requiring immediate decision the success of thinking in this function depends upon the best answer to the problem.