When I was younger, I had a teacher who always said I was a pragmatist. I didn’t know what that meant, but the way the teacher said it didn’t make it seem like it was a very good thing. It wasn’t until we reviewed the different schools of philosophy in this class that I really understood what having a pragmatic attitude meant. Now I understand that my teacher was correct in his label – I certainly am a pragmatist. I also realize that I was right – the teacher was not being kind when he said I was a pragmatist. I know that now because what my teacher meant was that I would never believe what he told me and the rest of the class until I could see it for myself. He did not like that I questioned him on how he knew things. In one particular instance that I recall, he did not like that I told him that just because he had watched the 1969 moon landing and didn’t think we would go to the moon again that we wouldn’t actually go to the moon again – things change, and just because NASA wasn’t currently running those types of missions didn’t mean that they wouldn’t at some point in the future. I remember questioning my teacher in front of the other students about how he knew we wouldn’t send another mission to the moon. I also remember him getting defensive and telling me that I was the only one who always asked, “how do you know?” types of questions. This embarrassed me in front of the class, but I get it now. So, yes, I am a pragmatist – I need to experience things for myself and back up my experiences with science; I also believe that there are no constants – that there is a dynamism in our society, or natural world, and in our spiritual being, and that we have to keep looking to both what is going on around us and what is happening with new discoveries to remain in touch with the reality of our existence.
Pragmatism related to the philosophy of leisure has been a little bit more difficult for me to understand, but I now have a pretty good idea that it is during times of leisure – times where there are not pressing responsibilities, times where enjoyable activities can be conducted for the pure joy of conducting them – are the times when the most insight can occur regarding that previously mentioned reality of our existence. It is when our minds are free to wander and our bodies are unencumbered by desks, pews, restrictive clothing, rituals, and routines that we best explore the deeper questions and observations of our existence.
Dewey’s thoughts on the construction of a “unified preference out of competing preferences” (Haney and Kline 21) when utilizing leisure time coincide with mine – again, a sign of my pragmatism. Instead of eliminating some of the leisure activities I enjoy because I do not have time for all of them, I try to unify them. For example, I take my significant other hiking when I can – this way, I can enjoy the company of someone I care about while at the same time I can spend time exercising and being in a natural setting.
Of course, there is also the problem with pragmatism and leisure that implies if something isn’t practical, it isn’t necessary, and perhaps leisure time is neither practical nor necessary. A popular blogger, who identifies as a pragmatist, recently stated that “faculties without practicality challenge my American pragmatic sensibility” (Colonel4God). Here is where society fits in – society evaluates leisure as something an individual deserves and needs in order to maintain a high quality of life, but philosophical musings ponder the rationality of leisure. Higher intelligence often fails to account for the biological status of our bodies and our social needs. So, how do we enmesh the two competing aspects? Easy – go take a hike with a friend!
- Colonel4God. “Pragmatism, the Enemy of Leisure?” Reverenced Reading, 2010. Blog. 04 May 2016.
- Haney, Mitchell R. and David A. Kline. The Value of Time and Leisure in a World of Work. New York: Lexington, 2010. Print. 04 May 2016.
