Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking

First articulated by Charles Peirce, William James, and John Dewey, and a major strain in late 19th- and early 20th-century philosophy, pragmatism had a number of historical roots. One of the most important was the society and culture of the United States. Indeed, it has been argued that American social experience, notably New England’s strong tradition of Puritanism, with its emphasis on hard work, industry, and practical virtues, influenced this branch of philosophy. Many Americans, from the colonial period onward, held the belief that life in the new country was a grand experiment, a test of ingenuity and human progress. European observers of the early republic, such as Alexis de Tocqueville, remarked on the new country’s strong emphasis on business, industry, and practical improvement at the expense of purely theoretical knowledge.

According to cultural historian Daniel Boorstin, early America fostered a novel conception of knowledge creation. Whereas European thought had been tied to elaborate and closed systems and formal institutions, Americans believed that lived experience rather than abstract principles should guide knowledge and action. Central to this belief was an openness to practical solutions; because Americans were learning on their feet, they had to constantly adapt to the unforeseen—a dynamic that could particularly be seen in the rugged and high-risk life of pioneers in the West.