Pragmatism and The American Dream #10 (installment 1)

“Pragmatism is a philosophical movement that includes those who claim that an ideology or proposition is true if it works satisfactorily, that the meaning of a proposition is to be found in the practical consequences of accepting it, and that unpractical ideas are to be rejected.”

If a hunter is facing a squirrel and the hunter is trying to kill it, but its on the other side of the tree. So the hunter walks around the tree but the squirrel makes it a point to stay on the opposite side of the tree and continually moves around the tree opposite of the hunter does the hunter circle the squirrel?

William James would have responded by saying if you mean in terms of north, south, east, and west then yes the hunter is circling the squirrel. If you mean in terms of the squirrel’s right left forward and behind then no because the squirrel’s chest will always be facing the hunter. The pragmatic answer however will be whichever one has the “cash value” This doesn’t literally mean an actual cash value but sometimes it does. The answer will essentially be the one you want to know. Pragmatism isn’t some form of guidance or morality that tells you that you make this decision for this reason it is whichever one will benefit you.

William James arguably the most famous Pragmatist. He was a great writer who often stepped on the toes of the religious elites. He once said, “…An idea is ‘true’ so long as to believe it is profitable to our lives. That it is good, for as much as it profits, you will gladly admit … The true is the name of whatever proves itself good in the way of belief and good, to for definite, assignable reasons.” (What Pragmatism Means 1904) This occurred because pragmatism is all about whichever one is going to make money even if it isn’t necessarily morally right but it is the “practical” solution or even what you believe. He uses the example of Santa Claus he shows how if a kid believes in Santa then it must be true because it benefits the kid to believe because he gests presents out of them. Now this viewpoint help by William James is very valid would I consider myself a pragmatist? No, I don’t know if I would directly associate me with pragmatism; however, there are definitely ideals that I do see on my own life that I do use. When Pierce talks about whether or not ‘glass is brittle’ the obvious answer is yes because if you hit it with a hammer it will shatter into a bunch of tiny pieces. This just shows that pragmatism is extremely practical and that’s the way I feel like we should all be but we should not be limited to this form of philosophy.

In my next post I will discuss more about Pierce and more about the affect Pragmatism has on the American Dream.