Pragmatism

“It’s not the roots of the idea but the fruits I really care for!”

— William James

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, a new type of philosophy called pragmatism emerged in America. Pragmatism was all about focusing on how ideas could be put into action rather than just thinking about them in abstract ways. Three important thinkers in this movement were Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey.

Peirce believed that everything we think and do is based on making guesses and drawing inferences from what we know. Over time, as more and more people come to similar conclusions, we can get closer to the truth.

For James, the important thing was how we used ideas in the real world. He said that it's not where ideas come from that matters, but what they can do for us. James defined pragmatism as “the attitude of looking away from first things, principles, ‘categories’, supposed first necessities; and of looking towards last things, fruits, consequences, facts.”

Dewey was most interested in how we can use pragmatic ideas to improve society. He believed that by asking questions and seeking knowledge, we could better understand the world around us.

Pragmatism was a way to connect abstract philosophical ideas with everyday life. It challenged the traditional view of philosophy as something that was only for experts and instead tried to make it more relevant to regular people. Some people criticized pragmatism because they thought it meant that everything was relative and that there was no objective truth. But the pragmatists said that they were just trying to make concepts more functional, that is, to make them work better in the real world.

Pragmatism might also seem like it ignores the mystery and beauty of the world, but the pragmatists believed that we can still appreciate these things even while we focus on how to use ideas in practical ways.

Overall, pragmatism was an important movement that helped people rethink how they approach ideas and knowledge. It's worth thinking about how you use pragmatic thinking in your own life and whether there are areas where you could take more risks and try new things.

To hear a deeper discussion on pragmatism, listen to Episode 18 of Talk Doesn’t Cook Rice.

By the end of the episode, you'll have a deeper understanding of how pragmatism can be applied in your own life and the value it holds for contemporary society.