Philosophy is the power of ideas and the value of intellectual power always outshines the gorgeous notion of physical power. “The times are changing” people always assert. But, is it the times that are really changing? Or is it the people who are really changing. The reality: Read between the lines.
The idea of philosophy being pragmatic doesn’t appeal me much. However, the above notion of time people and change brings into the light, the value of life and its dependence on formal education in Nepal. The whole idea of pragmatic philosophy is that “philosophy as a whole should be devoted to the cause of human life”. Human life on the other hand should devote himself to ascend the candid art of discovering and manipulating the art of pragmatic philosophy.
The main focus of pragmatic philosophy is the art of “education”. John Dewey (1859-1952) exerted his influence on the American society by the virtue of his educational theories. He was an effective proponent of progressive education, which opposed formal authoritarian methods of instruction in the favor of having students learn by performing tasks that are related to their own interests. Today, the educational practices throughout the world generally follow Dewey’s educational philosophy.
Now, it is pragmatism that allowed America to explore their own interest and then made them able to work on it. This may seem a state of Anarchy to the realists but this contradiction is only illusive as “doing what you love to do” makes you more vulnerable to “loving yourself”. And when humans are able to love themselves and their narcissistic lives then the timidity of failure to be unable to convict “someone of their own failure to succeed” and thus this daunting experience of anarchy will make an involuntary path to the state of coexistent democracy to all of human lives. Pragmatic philosophy in formal education contributed to Americans being more inquisitive which is the cause of contemporary America being what they are. Mighty, Clever and Impressive.
Formal education in Nepal has been gradually shifting to pragmatic education but the problem is that the shift is “gradual”. Here, our educational system is directly related to our culture of narcissism. The sole purpose of education in Nepal is to be competitive by scoring high in the exams and grab the best 10 AM to 5 PM job with a subjective income rather than exploring new heights of human ingenuity and envisaging themselves in the center of the universe. Here, we are wasting our time and energy to the frivolous arrangement of our subjectively “unhappy” lives.
Motivation Proclamation:
Now is the time to change! The time to dream, this moment to be a rebel and undermine all rational elements into an energy which shall destroy our egotistical formal education. Being pragmatic is being a leader to your life. It is about being a non-conformist and carving your own way to the confines of history.
Who says you cannot be what you want to be? – Ask them, are they what they always wanted to be.
Read between the lines.