Pragmatism in Education: Philosophical Foundations and Pedagogical Practice

Abstract

The subject of this article is the ideas in the field of philosophy and practice of education, proposed by the founders of pragmatism: C. Pierce, W. James, J. Dewey, R. Rorty. The concepts of these authors gave rise to one of the most successful philosophies of education, which has been and is being subjected to considerable criticism, but is still in demand and demonstrating effectiveness. The article analyzes the initial axioms of the philosophy of pragmatism and the principles on which, according to the philosophers-authors, this educational model should work. The modern criticism of pragmatism in English-language literature is also touched upon. Attention to the philosophy of pragmatism in education seems justified due to the search for a better educational model that is taking place in Russia today. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the analysis of the key philosophical principles of the educational model of pragmatism along with practical recommendations, as well as in the attention paid to Ch. Pierce and the place, significance, of his ideas in the educational model of pragmatism. Traditionally Ch. Pierce is taken out of the brackets when writing about pragmatism in education. Much more attention is paid to the ideas of W. James, J. Dewey, R. Rorty, while Peirce's prolegomena seem fundamentally significant in understanding pragmatism as a philosophy of education. The author discusses the current controversy around the relevance of pragmatism as a philosophy of education, about its strengths and weaknesses. It is concluded that pragmatism as a philosophy of education carries useful principles associated with consensual practices, critical thinking, dialogue, increased attention to experience and an active cognitive position, and therefore can be used as a counterweight to destructive (commercialization, deprofessionalization) trends in education.