Pragmatism and its Implications for Nigerian Education

Abstract

This paper analyses Pragmatism as a philosophy of education; it also analyses Nigerian education in the light of Pragmatism. This is important because pragmatism which originates from renowned American philosophers like Charles Sanders Pierce and John Dewey has great implications for global education, including Nigerian education. Thus it is important to analyse the implications of the philosophy for education, and specifically for Nigerian education. The research method employed in the study is the method of philosophical analysis which involves logical, linguistic, critical and expository analyses. It was found that pragmatism disclaims divine origin of man and divine solution to problems; rather it claims that man is a biological and social organism whose existence is due to evolution, and whose survival and development depend on the use of his intelligence in the exploration of his natural and social environments. Pragmatism emphasizes experimentalism in man’s use of his intelligence. Nigerian education appears to be patterned after pragmatist education with the consequence of less emphasis on spiritual and moral developments of the learner and the society. It is therefore recommended that Nigerian education emphasizes physical, social and spiritual developments of the learner for the total development of the learner and the society.

Key words: Pragmatism, philosophy of education, philosophical analysis, John Dewey, Nigerian education