Introduction
Pragmatism is a midway between naturalism and idealism. It criticizes
the impersonal interpretation of existence as forwarded by naturalism, and
rebels against the academic and orthodox absolutism of idealism. 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
“Pragmatism offers us a theory of meaning, a theory of truth
of knowledge and a theory of reality”. James B. Prett
“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”.
J.S.Ross
MEANING 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.
MEANING OF EDUCATION
ACCORDING TO PRAGMATISM
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.
CHARACTERISTIC OF PRAGMATIC
EDUCATION
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 behaviour 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.
PRINCIPLES OF
PRAGMATISM
1. Truth is ever changing
Truth always changes according to
time, place and situation. A certain thing which was true to a person yesterday
need not be the same for him today or will remain the same tomorrow.
2. Truth is formed by its result
Truth is not fixed and definite entity. The change in
situations brings about new problems to be solved by new thoughts and new
efforts. Truth is not absolute or predetermined for all times to come.
3. Problems are the motives of truth
Human life is a laboratory where each individual undertakes
various experiments to solve problems he confronts, in his growth and
development. The success of the experiment is a search for truth.
4. Emphasis on social and democratic value
Man is a social being. He is born in society and all his
development takes place in society. Pragmatists uphold social and democratic
attitudes and values.
5. Opposition to fixed ideals and values
Ideals and values are not pre-determined and fixed. Values
and ideals are man-made and they change according to changes in circumstances,
times and places. It has an indifferent attitude towards moral and spiritual
ideals and values.
6. Emphasis on the principle of utility
Any idea which is useful to us is proper and right. In case,
it is of no use it is improper, wrong and untrue.
7. Importance of man power
Man has the power to create an environment useful, beneficial
and conducive for his own development and welfare of society.
8. Importance of present and future
Man is an active being. He learns through his activities in
his life. Ideas are born out of activities.
9. Faith in present and future
The past is dead and gone. Each individual has to solve the
problems of his present and future.
10. Opposition to social customs and traditions
Old customs, traditions, restrictions and taboos are denied.
It believes in the realities of life, human intelligence and mental capacity which
results in human welfare and happiness.
11. Faith in pluralism
The ideals and values which are testified by experiences are
true and real. It believes in pluralism.
12. Reality in making
The attitude is optimistic, progressive and developing. To
call the present world as fully made up, absolutely beautiful and complete is
wrong. The world is still in the process of formation and development.
13. Faith in
flexibility
The world is changing and everything is under a process of
change. Nothing is fixed and final in this world. He employs all his mental
faculties, learns from his experience and experiments to the path of progress
and development.
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 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.
AIMS OF PRAMATIC
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
instil 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
CURRICULUM
The curriculum must grow out of child’s interests,
experiences, impulses and needs. The curriculum must be child-centred.
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 modelling.
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.
METHORDS 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.
ROLE OF THE 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.
4.
He
also creates situations to develop social interests, attitudes and habits for
welfare of the society.
PRAGMATISTS VIEW OF
SHCOOL
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.
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 OF PRAGMATISM
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 centred 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 Centred 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.
IMPACT OF PRAGMATISM 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
universalisation of elementary education.
CRITICISM OF PRAGMATISM
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.
6.
Pragmatists
want to improve the world by experimentation. They reject the experience of
others and believed in self experience of man.
7.
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.
0 comments:
Post a Comment