Many people will agree that society should be guided by pragmatism. In fact, the philosophy of pragmatism is all about using logic and evidence to guide one’s actions. It may seem like a simple concept, but it has caused many heated debates over the years because not everyone agrees with this viewpoint.
What is Pragmatism?
Pragmatic thinkers believe that one can only know what they have experienced firsthand. They also think that knowledge of truth comes from experience rather than from reasoning or intuition. This means that if you want to know something for sure, then you need to do it yourself so that your own experiences can confirm your belief in their truthfulness (or falseness).
For example, if someone asks you “will this piece of metal conduct electricity?”, then your only way to find out is for you to try it yourself. This philosophy was developed by Charles Sanders Pierce and William James in the late 19th century, with James being more influential than Pierce. Pragmatism focuses on individual experience as opposed to abstract concepts or theoretical knowledge.
It also emphasizes how people should act based on their own feelings and emotions rather than what society tells them they should do (which can be a good thing). However, there are some who say that pragmatists don’t care about moral obligations like protecting the environment because they only focus on logic and evidence-based beliefs instead of relying solely on intuition and universal truths from religion/superstition.
