PHILOSOPHIES OF EDUCATION

 PRAGMATISM

Pragmatism philosophy of Education emphasizes; the reality of change, the essentiality and biological nature of human beings, the relativity of values, and the use of critical intelligence. Pragmatism in its own sense refers to solving problems in a way that suits the present conditions rather than obeying fixed theories, ideas, or rules. Therefore pragmatic philosophy of education focuses on a

problem-solving approach given the environment.

Pragmatists reject metaphysics as a legitimate form of philosophical inquiry. According to them, reality is determined by an individual’s sense experience and so no human being can know anything beyond their experience. No one can determine the ultimate reality of the universe of human beings like life after death. That can only be answered by guesswork.

They maintain that the world is neither dependent on/nor independent of people’s idea of it. Reality amounts to the interaction of the human being with the environment. Reality is the total sum of what we experience. Human beings and their environment are coordinated and are equally responsible for what is real.

Pragmatists also believe that change is the essence of reality and that we must always be able to alter the way we do things.

They believe that knowledge is produced by the transaction between human beings and their environment and so knowledge originates from experience. Since experiences are ever changing then likewise knowledge is ever changing. The mind is active and exploratory rather than passive and receptive, that is why knowledge is ever-changing.

An idea is true if it has satisfactory consequences. The truth of an idea depends on the consequences that are observed objectively when the idea is put into operation. Ideas change and so does truth. Knowledge with no positive results or consequences is discarded by the pragmatists. This is because they do not help human beings to interact well with the environment or to make appropriate responses to the circumstances.  

Pragmatists view values as relative and not absolute, permanent, or universally binding. They change or are interpreted according to circumstances. For example, though there is the commandment “thou shall not kill” there may be an occasion when killing is justified.

Pragmatists also consider the consequences of one's actions on society. If the consequences prove worthwhile socially then the values of that action are proved to be good. But they also emphasize respect for individuality they believe that no one should be a slave of social norms. Because they believe in change, so when society is conservative, it will conflict with individuals who are changing. There should be an objective discussion to reconcile personal and social norms.

Education must teach one how to think so that one can adjust to an ever-changing society. The learner must be helped on how to relate to the changing society. They must adapt themselves intelligently to social needs and aspirations.

It is useless to concentrate on a subject matter of the past if it cannot solve today’s problems. The right subject matter is that which helps learners to identify problems of the current situation and figure out solutions to them. Content in education should be for the good life now and in the future.  

The teacher should use the problem-solving approach when teaching. They should not pour knowledge into the learners’ heads because that will be fruitless. Instead, the teacher should foster the learner's spirit of inquiry. Learners who develop skills in searching for the right information for a given problem will easily adapt to changes in the environment and society.

The teachers should not dictate what values learners should adopt but rather help learners on how to analyze moral values and make decisions that are appropriate in given circumstances.  Through Education, an individual learner should learn how to participate in social planning. This should be attained by letting the learner, the school, and the education system itself be shaped and influenced by social and cultural forces.

The teacher must convince their learners of the validity and urgency of the Reconstructionist solution ( the curricula, methods, educational administration, and ways of training teachers must be reconstructed or reformed to address the current social problems), but must do so with careful consideration for democratic procedures. That is; the teacher’s view concerning society should not be imposed on the learners.

The means and ends of education must be completely refashioned to meet the demands of the present cultural crisis. The Reconstructionist highly recognizes the findings/research of the behavioral sciences. The Findings reveal the weakness of society which the Reconstructionists should tackle with the help of education.