Pragmatism

One of the most important schools of philosophy of education is pragmatism. Pragmatism stands
between idealism and materialism a sort of compromise. Its origin can be traced from the Sophists
philosophers of ancient Greece who held that man is the measure of all things.
The term pragmatism derives its origin from a Greek word meaning to do, to make, to accomplish.
So the use of words likes ‘action’ or ‘practice’ or ‘activity’. Action gets priority over thought.
Experience is at 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. Will Durant sums up
pragmatism as the doctrine that truth is the practical efficiency of an idea. It follows there from
that pragmatism is not a philosophy but a method–the method of experimentation. As a basis for
school practice pragmatism opposes pre-determined and pre-ordained objectives and curriculums.
The past of the pragmatist is dead.
Values are instrumental only. There are no final or fixed values. They are evolved and are not true
for all times and for all situations. According to an undeviating standard of worth, pragmatism
tends to be individualistic, selfish; has no values; has no ethics and is thus superficial.
Pragmatism holds that whatever fulfils one’s purposes and develops his life is true. Only those
theories are true which work in practical situations. There are no absolute ideas. All ideas are
relative to the situations in which they arise and they are subject to continuous verification by
consequences. Experiences are of various nature and they are always changing. So no final,
eternal valid system of ideas or values can be fixed up. There are no ideas or values which are any
truths, they are man-made products. They are not divine and they are not eternal.

Exponents of Pragmatism
1. C.B Pearce, 2. William James, 3 Schiller, 4. John Dewey.

Definitions of Pragmatism
Etymologically the word pragmatism is derived from the Greek word ‘pragma’ which means
activity or the work done. Some other scholars think that the word pragmatism has been derived
from the Greek word ‘pragmatikos’ which means practicability or utility. Thus, according to this
ideology great importance is laid upon practicability and utility.
“Pragmatism offers us a theory of meaning, a theory of truth of knowledge and a theory of
reality”.
“pragmatism is essentially a humanistic philosophy, maintaining that man creates his own values
in the course of activity that reality is still in the making and awaits its part of completion from the
future, that to an unascertainable extend our truth are man-made products”.

Forms of Pragmatism
1. Humanistic pragmatism
According to this ideology, only those things or principles are true which satisfy the needs,
requirements, aspirations and objectives of human beings and cater to the welfare of mankind. In
other words, that which satisfies the human nature is only true and real.
Humanist pragmatists believe “whatever fulfils my purpose, satisfies my desire develops NOTES
my life is true.”
2. Experimental pragmatism
According to this ideology, that thing or principle is true which can be verified as true by
experiment. Hence according to experimental pragmatists, ‘whatever can be experimentally
verified is true or what works is true’.
3. Biological pragmatism
This form of Pragmatism considers the power or capacity of a human being valuable. This power
enables a man to adjust in the society and with the environment. It also enables him to change his
environment according to his needs and objectives. This form of pragmatism has its roots into
Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection. According to it, there is always struggle for
existence seen in the physical and social environment. Each organism tries to adjust with his
environment according to his power and strength. In this process weak are decayed and only the
fittest survive.

Pragmatism in Education
Education is not the preparation of a child for his future but it is life itself. Life is not possible
without education. Life here means social life. It is because man is a social animal. His activities
are directed and determined by the society by living there. So collective activities are organised in
the school. Participation in the collective activities gives him knowledge of social efficiency and
sociability.
1. Education as life
Traditional education is dead and lifeless. The students are passive recipients without any
dynamism and push. Real knowledge can be gained by activity experiments and real life
experiences.
2. Education as growth
Society is undergoing a process of continual change. Education should correspond its activities to
suit the changes in society. Education should develop the inherent capacities of the child according
to his interests, inclinations and aptitudes, so that he can create his own values to face the problem.
3. Education as continuous reconstruction of experiences
Bookish knowledge is condemned. Real knowledge is gained by experiments and experiences.
They transform the behavior and personality of the child.
4. Education as social process
Education should develop desirable qualities that he is a sociable person. An individual gains more
knowledge from his interaction with his friends, family and society rather than the books.
5. Education as the responsibility of the state
Education is the birth right of the child. The state should shoulder the responsibility of the
education of the child otherwise the whole nation will suffer and lag behind.
Aims of Education
To pragmatism the aim of education is to provide dynamic direction and guidance to the child
according to his natural interests, aptitudes and capacities in the field of academic activities that he
grows up and develops more and more and is endowed with capacities to confront the ever
changing problems and challenges of modern life successfully achieving a happier, a better and a
richer life. For this education should develop such a dynamic flexible and adaptable mind which is
always resourceful and enterprising and is able to create new values for an unknown future.
Following are the some of the aim of pragmatism.
1. To reform and reconstruct the society
2. To enable the individual to adjust with the changing social environment
3. To develop the child fully according to his interest, abilities and needs
4. To create social efficacy in the child
5. To develop democratic values and ideals in the child
6. To provide educational opportunities to all citizens on equal footing
7. To instill habit of experimentation in the children
8. To remove social evils and make the society a good place for living
9. To enable the child to discover the truth himself
10. To make child self reliant

i. Curriculum
The curriculum must grow out of child’s interests, experiences, impulses and needs. The
curriculum must be child-centered. Pragmatists stressed that school subjects should be woven
around the child’s activities. Lesson should begin with social topics such as food, shelter, modes
of communication, speech reading, drawing, and modeling.
1. Ability and interest of the child
Child’s ability and his personal inclination should be kept in mind before constructing the
curriculum and nothing imposed on him.
2. Flexibility
Every society is dynamic. So curriculum should be constructed according to the changing need of
the society. Vision is required for this purpose so that it may last long.
3. Usefulness
Curriculum must have utility for a child. He should be taught only what is useful for him.
4. Social efficiency
Curriculum must make a child socially efficient and democratic in his behaviour. It should enable
the students to get fully adjusted in the society.
5. Experimental
It should develop the habit of self experience and experimentation in the child. Different kinds of
problematic situations are presented before him and he reaches the solution to these problems
through activities and experimentation.
6. Life related
Only those subjects should be included in the curriculum which have direct link to the lives of
children. It will make them self reliant and a productive member of the society. Vocational
subjects are preferred for this purpose. Subjects of social sciences and humanities are also taught
but only after creating some harmony with the subjects of natural sciences.
7. Principle of integration
Curriculum deals with the integration of subjects and activities. The teaching of various units
should be inter-linked and co-related to form right concept and proper understanding in children.

ii. Methods of Teaching

Whatever is to be taught to a child must be correlated with the natural activities of the child. For
this purpose following methods are adapted:
1. Learning by doing
Child learns the best when he performs some action along with the theoretical knowledge of a
subject. Teacher guides the students for these activities by which child develops his own natural
abilities.
2. Collective approach
Children participate in these activities collectively. It develops in them social efficiency. They are
assigned various types of jobs by the teacher and they complete them collectively.
3. Integrated approach
A subject is taught only after integrating it with other subjects as well as life. In this way
knowledge becomes compact, useful and systematic.
4. Individual approach
Each child is unique and different from his fellow flock. Teacher should regard individual
differences and teach a child according to his level of understanding and specific interest.
5. Purposive process of learning
A child should try to achieve some aim or goal according to his natural interests, abilities and
experiences. Self learning through self effort is acknowledged.

iii. Role of Teacher

The teacher works as friend, philosopher and guide to the students
1. He should have the capacity to know the interests of the students.
2. He should understand the conditions and situation of changing society.
3. He puts forth problems for the students to be solved according to their interests. NOTES
4. He also creates situations to develop social interests, attitudes and habits for welfare of the
society.

iv. School
According to pragmatism, school is a laboratory for experiments to be done by children. The
school is a social institution where child gains real experiences of actual life. It develops a social
sense and duty towards society and nation. The school is a miniature society where a child gets
real experiences to act and behave according to his interests, aptitudes and capacities.

v. Discipline
Pragmatism condemns enforced discipline. It advocates social discipline based on child’s interest,
activities and a sense of responsibility. Self discipline is learnt by the students in the proper
democratic and social environment of the school. They participate in collective activities and learn
cooperation and control. Child is given full freedom to develop his natural abilities. Teacher does
not consider himself superior to the child. He works in the class as a supervisor only. He also takes
the individual difference among children into account.
The merging of play and work will develop interest in the child. It will enhance a sense of purpose
to do the work with joy and eagerness without interfering others. This mental condition will
develop self confidence, self reliance, cooperation, sympathy and fellow feeling for others. He
will develop a social discipline and moral obligation towards self and others. It develops a social
responsibility to become a true citizen of the country.

Merits
1. Construction of project method
A child, who indulges in various activities, is able to solve problems which cater to his natural
progress and development.
2. Importance of child
Child centered education where a great emphasis is laid in the development of the child’s
individuality by his own efforts.
3. Emphasis on activity
Pragmatism emphasizes upon activity rather than ideas. ‘Learning by doing’ is the method
followed here.
4. values in applied life
Education should prepare the child for the practice of values in life in an effective manner.
5. Social and democratic education
It induces a spirit of freedom, initiative, equality and also a sense of responsibility in relation to
rights and duties of a citizen. It develops a love for democratic values and social efficiency which
brings harmonious adjustment and development of personality.
6. Infusion of new life in education
It has revolutionized the process of education and infused a new life and zest in education.
The concepts of New Education, Progressive Education and Activity Centered curriculum
are the contributions of pragmatism.
7. Progressive and optimistic attitude
Pragmatism is a way of living which opposes old doctrines of Idealism and Naturalism, inspires
the individual to look ahead and create new values for a better and happier life. It develops a
dynamic, flexible and adaptable mind which gives direction to new purpose to education.

Impacts on Modern Education

1. Inculcation of democratic values and social responsibilities have been included in the aims of
education today.
2. Activity and self experience methods of teaching are very much recognized today.
3. Special emphasis on vocational and professional courses
4. Organization of co curricular activities in the school
5. Updating of curriculum after every five years according to the changing needs of the society.
6. Promotion of self discipline
7. Respect for democratic values
8. Promotion of free and compulsory education from 6 to 14.
9. Proposes universalization of elementary education.

Criticism/Demerits
1. Difficulties of not accepting truth to be permanent.
Pragmatist philosophy does not treat truth as permanent and objective. Instead for pragmatists all
truth is relative to time and space. No philosophy is always true or correct. It has its utility only in
a particular set of circumstances. And utility is the final criterion of truth. In actual practice
pragmatic philosophy is fairly useful, but when its own principles are applied to its own theories,
the latter also becomes relative to time and space and thus has only a limited utility. Hence the
principle of pragmatism itself becomes only true because it does not accept truth as something
permanent. Truth changeable with time and space may prove very dangerous for the society.
2. Materialistic bias.
Pragmatism was born out of reaction to idealism, and consequently it manifests a distinctly
materialistic bias, in contradiction of the spiritual bias of idealist philosophy. At the same time,
pragmatists realize democratic ideals of freedom, equality and fraternity through education. But it
is difficult to understand how this can be done unless they accept an idealistic basis of his system
of education.
3. Absence of any aim of education.
According to pragmatists, education is life itself and it is not possible to determine any objective
for its continuous change in the pattern of living. This idea is also unbelievable. Changes do take
place immediately but they take time. Specific aims of life must be there before the changes occur.
4. Excessive emphasis upon individual difference.
Modern educational psychology accepts in principle that the curriculum of education must take
into account the individual difference of children and that children must be educated according to
their individual and unique interests and inclinations both in respect of curriculum and also of the
method of teaching. While in theory this is quite acceptable any attempts to apply it in practice
lead to immediate complications. It is completely impossible to provide a separate educational
plan for every individual child in the school.
5. Limitations of learning through doing.
There is no doubt that the child should learn by actually doing things. But the theory has its
limitations too. Many facts known to an individual are acquired from another person. It is almost
impossible for one individual to experience every fact known to him.
Pragmatists want to improve the world by experimentation. They reject the experience of others
and believed in self experience of man.
Pragmatists reject the experience of others and believed in self experience of man. Pragmatists
advocated full freedom for the child who may spoil his career because of his immaturity and lack
of experience.
REFERENCES

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