Pragamatism & Tragic Sense Of Life

The 3 foundations of Pragmatism:

 ‘Pragmatism was regarded as a distinctively American philosophy, despite its European congeners, because it stressed three things: the universe was open—therefore possibilities were real; the future depended in part upon what human beings did or left undone—therefore man was not a slave of scientific or theological necessity; ideas were potentially plans of action—therefore thinking could and did make a difference to human affairs. This emphasis on action became central in the interpretation of pragmatism and before long action was identified with practice and—fateful step!—practice with usefulness.’

— What it means for business?

The 3 foundations of Pragmatism – an interpretation and application for business:

1.      There is a market that is ‘open’ for business — but it is complex, (mostly) unpredictable and unwieldy

2.      It’s what we do in the market that matters most, along with our evaluation, reflection and adaptation  — we need to ask: What did we learn? How can we apply the learning?

3.      Ideas become ‘plans of action’ once they are applied in the market — thinking about things is important because pure action, without thought, is ‘blind’ — we need both, action and thought