Pragmatism

Primarily a theory of meaning and truth, pragmatism is a philosophical view that claims truth lies in ‘whatever works,’ which is to say, whatever makes for a better life or society; it also claims that the meaning of a proposition lies in the practical consequences of accepting it.  To put it another way, ideas are true, on the pragmatist account, if they function effectively in the world.

Pragmatism is not a theory of ethics, per se, but it does have consequences for ethical thought and, by extension, ethical life.

One major consequence of pragmatism in ethics is that, according to pragmatism, ethical beliefs are true ethical beliefs on the basis of their functional effectiveness.  Thus, when we evaluate the truth of a proposition like “murder is wrong,” we conclude that the proposition is true, or false, on the basis of ‘what works.’  If we agree that it wouldn’t work – socially, morally, or practically – for people to go about murdering one another without consequence or penalty, then we would reach the conclusion that the proposition “murder is wrong” is a true belief.

Conversely, if traditional morality demands that we abide by a particular moral rule, but the rule does not meet the truth requirements of pragmatism, it follows from the pragmatist account that the moral belief that we have, which tells us to abide by the rule, is false and, according to some pragmatists, should be discarded.

Although pragmatism in ethics is more concerned with consequences than rules, it is not a utilitarian theory.