Pragmatism and Politics: A Study and Critical Review of Pragmatism in the Sphere of Government and Politics

Pragmatism as a philosophical theory and an approach is almost a new viewpoint which became popular in late nineteenth or early twentieth century in the United States. Pragmatism is based on this fact that each theory or doctrine is to be judged on the basis of the result which is derived from it. According to pragmatists if an idea leads to an efficient and useful result for man then it should be considered as real and useful. In fact the reality is not something absolute which exist apart and independent from man. Pragmatism like other philosophies has deep connection with politics and political affairs. The present article initially examines the philosophy and approach of pragmatism and then connection of pragmatism with politics in theory and practice is critically discussed. The finding of the article shows that although in certain cases a pragmatic outlook is necessary but it is not sufficient because excessive use of this method leads to certain problems. These problems are: non-adherence to ethics, instrumentalism, lack of attention to political and social ideals and preferring interests to values and principles.