CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY PART 3:

Pragmatism
Reporter: Dennis dela Torre
PRAGMATISM

the truth or meaning of an idea or a proposition lies in its observable practical consequences rather than anything metaphysical

whatever works, is likely true

truth must also be changeable and no one can claim to possess any final or ultimate truth

a practical, matter-of-fact way of approaching or assessing situations or of solving problems

John Dewey

pragmatic philosopher, psychologist, and educator commonly regarded as the founder of the progressive education movement

his father was a Civil War Veteran and his mother a Congregationalist noted for her work with the city's poor

wrote:
o
How We Think
o
Logic: The Theory of Inquiry
o
Democracy and Education

Five-step analysis of effective inquiry:

o
problem
o
specify the problem
o
introducse a hypothesis
o
possible consequences
o
test it experimentally

Fallibilism - all claims of knowledge could in principle be mistaken

Instrumentalism - concepts and theories are measured as useful, not whether they are true or false, but how effective they are in
explaining and predicting phenomena

"The teacher should be occupied not with subject matter in itself but in its interaction with the pupils present needs and capacities."

"Education is life in itself."

William James

second of the three great pragmatists

a professor of psychology and of philosophy at Harvard University

beliefs are true if they are useful, and beliefs are false if they are not useful

Theories of truth:
o
Correspondence Theory

the "default" theory of truth

a claim is true if it corresponds to what is so (the "facts" or "reality") and false if it does not correspond to what is
so

Example: The statement "The opera Aida had its first performance in Cairo" is true just in case the opera Aida had
its first performance in Cairo, and false otherwise. "Snow is white" is true just in case snow is white.
o
Pragmatic Theory

a statement is true if it allows you to interact effectively and efficiently with the cosmos

a belief is false if it facilitates no interaction.

Example: My belief that inanimate objects do not spontaneously get up and move about is true because it makes
my world more predictable and thus easier to live in. It "works."
o
Coherence Theory

a statement is true if it is logically consistent with other beliefs that are held to be true

a belief is false if it is inconsistent with (contradicts) other beliefs that are held to be true

Example: we don't believe in solipsism (self is all that can be known to exist) primarily because it contradicts so
many of our other beliefs.
Charles Sanders Peirce

Lectured on philosophy of science in Harvard

scientist and philosopher best known as the earliest proponent of pragmatism

his thought was a seminal influence on William James, his life long friend, and John Dewey, his one time student

wrote:
o
Journal of Speculative Philosophy
o
Philosophy of Signs
o
Preceedings of the American academy of Arts and Sciences

Three metaphysical doctrines:

o
Tychism - doctrine of chance which treats the ancient problem of freedom and order in a cosmic scale
o
Synechism - doctrine of continuity which deals with the interconnectedness of things
o
Agapesm - doctrine of evolutionary love which interprets the purpose of the cosmic process as it becomes clear through
history

CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY PART 3:

Pragmatism
Dennis dela Torre