One of pragmatism’s core concepts is that knowledge isn’t just true, but useful. Like science, knowledge is something that helps us get things done. We learn in order to solve problems, and the best way to gain knowledge is to participate in the world around us. John Dewey, a pragmatist philosopher born in 1859, agrees with Peirce that knowledge comes from doing. Knowledge is acquired through participation, not observation. Just like scientists, we only think when faced with problems, so the most effective way to learn is through doing.
He proposed that we learn because we are active participants in the world around us. We can learn by watching others, but our own experiences will often lead to the same conclusions. Knowledge acquisition isn’t something that happens in isolation, and we can’t simply memorize things either. Learning requires us to interact with the world, and thus we must practice what we learn. Our actions determine the quality of our knowledge, and the best way to get the knowledge is to participate in activities that involve its application.
