Pragmatism
The roots of pragmatism trace back to the ancient Greek Sophists, who believed that “man is the measure of all things.” The American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce introduced modern pragmatism in 1878. Etymologically, the word pragmatism comes from the Greek words “pragma,” meaning action, and “pragmatikos,” meaning practicability or utility. Thus, pragmatism is a philosophy based on action, experimentation, and the usefulness of outcomes.
In technical terms, pragmatism emphasizes experimentation first and forms ideas and principles based on results. For this reason, people also call it Experimentalism. If the results benefit individuals and society, we accept the ideas derived from action; otherwise, we reject them. Due to this focus on outcomes, scholars also refer to this philosophy as Consequentialism. Pragmatism has influenced many great thinkers, including John Dewey, William James, William Heard Kilpatrick, and J. S. Ross.
According to this philosophy, curriculum construction for children should follow these principles:
1. Principle of Utility:
The curriculum should include only those subjects, activities, and experiences that directly meet children’s needs. Useful subjects include languages, physical education, geography, history, science, mathematics, agriculture, and home science. Schools should also include vocational and technical education to help children earn a livelihood.
2. Principle of Interest:
Teachers should not teach everything to every child. Imposing subjects goes against democratic values. Students should freely choose subjects based on their interests. According to John Dewey, interests fall into four types:
- Interest in conversation
- Interest in investigation
- Interest in construction
- Interest in creative expression
Keeping these interests in mind, schools can teach reading, writing, counting, arts, crafts, and natural sciences at the primary level. At the secondary level, the curriculum should offer more optional subjects. Students’ abilities also shape their interests.
3. Principle of Activity or Experience:
Pragmatism rejects rote learning and purely academic teaching. It promotes practical learning through independent, purposeful, and social activities. These activities help students meet their needs while contributing to society. Such experiences also develop responsible citizens with strong moral character.
4. Principle of Integration:
Educators should integrate all subjects and objectives to present knowledge as a unified whole. Although teachers divide subjects into units for convenience, they must connect them at the end. Correlating subjects across different grades helps students develop clear understanding. According to this philosophy, knowledge resembles a tree, and different subjects represent its branches.