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DA1. Schools of thought in Philosophy

Statement

  • Give a personal example of where you’ve seen or experienced each of the basic schools of thought for Philosophy.
  • Which of the three basic schools of Philosophy is most in line with your decision processes on a day-to-day basis? Why?
  • Include a bullet or two about the ‘value’ of these schools of thought in everyday

Answer

Here are the three basic schools of thought for Philosophy and an example of where I’ve seen or experienced each of them:

  • Pragmatism: I mostly see this in the workplace or business practices in general; where the consequences of an idea are assessed and then the business decision is made to approve it or not. For example, before launching new software (which is my area of expertise) or adding a new feature to existing software, the market response or user satisfaction is assessed and based on that we decide whether to go with the idea or not.
  • Positivism: I see this in the scientific community; where prior evidence and the details of the scientific method are required to make a decision. For example, launching a new drug to the market requires human trials although it was tested on animals and showed good results.
  • Realism: I see this in the international relations between countries; where the reality of the situation controls politicians’ responses. For example, many countries put red lines for other countries to not cross, but when they do, we see that the country who put the red line does not take action, because reality does not permit it due to the expensive cost of war, and so on.

The school of thought that is most in line with my decision processes on a day-to-day basis is Pragmatism. I believe that pragmatism takes the good parts of other schools and combines them into a practical approach. It might be due to the influence of doing day-to-day work in business. In short, “whatever works, is likely true” is a good way to make decisions in general; although it may have some conflicts with one’s moral values, and requires using contextual-based multiple standards to make a decision based on the situation.

Here are some notes about the value of these schools of thought in everyday life:

  • Pragmatism:
    • Provides flexibility in decision-making, and makes One more adaptable to new situations.
    • Focusing on the consequences supports the idea of responsibility; as One must think ahead before taking action.
  • Positivism:
    • Ensures reliability and trust, as evidence is provided and the scientific method is followed.
    • Focusing on evidence supports critical thinking; as nothing is taken for granted, but rather is tested and proven.
  • Realism:
    • Ensures that One is living within the limits of reality, and makes decisions based on what is truly possible.
    • Focusing on reality supports caution and safety; as real dangers are accounted for as opposed to imagined idealism.