Critical Pragmatism

Critical pragmatism evolved from the need for a critical revision of pragmatism, which was held in low regard by many philosophers, especially in Europe. One of the contributing factors for the need was the lack of structured and identifiable standards and procedures allowing for rational and reflective practices in pragmatism. Critical pragmatists view the curriculum as the vehicle with which schools can bring about the desired social changes for the advancement of the community. To achieve this goal, curriculum developers must understand and appreciate the main premises of critical pragmatism.

In pragmatism, Charles Sanders Peirce's maxim is the requirement of clarity of meaning while critical pragmatism requires the validity of meaning as well as clarity; in other words, critical pragmatism asks whether the knowledge will mean ...