Learning Journal Unit 1: Review of Disciplines of Philosophy
University of the People
PHIL 1402-01 Introduction to Philosophy
Patrick Wong, Instructor
April 17, 2024
This week we learned about the three schools of thought in Philosophy. We were introduced to
the concepts of Pragmatism, Positivism, and Realism. Going through the learning guide and
readings I could not fully understand the meanings of these concepts. Due to this I decided to my
research on the topics and looked for videos on YouTube that explained them with practical
examples. After some digging, I understood the concepts.
I learned that Pragmatism is the idea that suggests in all kinds of questions and situations one
must choose the most practical approach. It insists that any theory that can prove itself truer than
its competing theories is nearer the truth. Pragmatism tells us to be sensible about forming
opinions and making choices. (Cline, Austin, 2017)
Positivism is the idea that believes in scientific superiority and that science through
experimentation will take us closer to the objective truth. Finally, Realism is the idea that there is
an objective truth that is different and independent of our understanding of it/them. (Mellone,
S.H. , 1897)
Think about a very common question, what is the purpose of life? How do the various schools of
thought go about answering this question while knowing that the objective truth that the answer
is not known? A pragmatist approach would be practical but not necessarily ideal. A pragmatist
person might suggest that the purpose of life is to do what makes you happy. A positivist on the
other hand acknowledges that he does not have the answer but is “positive” that doing scientific
research and experiments will eventually bring him closer to the truth. A realist on the other hand
accepts the reality of the situation. That the objective truth of this situation is not known. He
might see the purpose of life as adapting and thriving within the constraints of the natural world.
He might say that the purpose of life is to survive and leave a legacy for future generations.
What surprised me about these schools of thought is how vast they are. They are not merely
concepts to solve a specific problem. Instead, they are an approach to looking at a question and
every situation in life. They allow us to look at a problem and discuss it from various angles.
They help us to determine the objective truths, be practical, and understand our limitations.
Finally, a question to the professor would be about pragmatism and positivism and how they
intercept. For example, think about a company trying to maximize its sales for a product. The
company has the budget to spend money on scientific research on the most attractive packaging
and other strategies that maximize the sale of the product. My question is whether this approach
is both positivism and pragmatism because practically(pragmatism) they can implement
scientific strategies to find the best possible way which is also positivism.
Overall, I had fun dwelling on the world of philosophy and deep thinking. I think this is only the
beginning to many interesting concepts that I will get to learn while I go through this course.
References
Cline, Austin. (2017, October 5). What Is Pragmatism? Retrieved
from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-pragmatism-250583
Mellone, S.H. (1897). Some of the Leading Ideas of Comte's Positivism. International
Journal of Ethics, 8(1), 73-86.
Lebow, R. N. (June 9, 2008). The Ancient Greeks and Modern Realism: Ethics,
Persuasion, and Power. In Bell, D. (Ed.), Political Thought and International Relations
(26-40). Verlag: Oxford University
Press. https://my.uopeople.edu/pluginfile.php/1851422/mod_book/chapter/503915/
Political_Thought_and_International_Relations_Vari..._----_
%282._The_Ancient_Greeks_and_Modern_Realism_Ethics_Persuasion_and_Power
%29.pdf
References
Machiavelli, N. (2008). The Prince. (C. D. Levinson, Trans.). Oxford University Press. (Original
work published 1532)
Rousseau, J.-J. (1762). The social contract. (G. D. H. Cole, Trans.). Everyman's Library.
Retrieved from https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/cole-the-social-contract-and-discourses
Strauss, L. (1958). Thoughts on Machiavelli. University of Chicago Press. Retrieved from
https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/122355/mod_resource/content/1/Leo%20Strauss
%20Thoughts%20on%20Machiavelli%20%201958.pdf
The School of Life. (2015, June 19). POLITICAL THEORY - Niccolò Machiavelli [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOXl0Ll_t9s
