Knowledge is what works. Ideas are tools, tested by what they let us do. Inquiry begins with a real problem.
- +Fits Pragmatist Ontology
Key thinkers: William James, John Dewey, Charles Sanders Peirce
The longer story
Pragmatist epistemology asks one question: does it work? Knowledge isn't about mental representations matching external reality; it's about having tools that help you cope with problems. James: truth is what happens to an idea when it works out. Dewey: inquiry is problem-solving; knowledge is warranted assertibility. Stop asking whether your theory is 'really true' and start asking whether it helps. For research, this is liberating—use whatever methods solve your problem. Mix and match. The test isn't methodological purity but practical results. Does this help you understand? Does it enable better action? That's what matters.