instrumentalism

in·stru·men·tal·ism

I0171500 (ĭn′strə-mĕn′tl-ĭz′əm) n. A theory of pragmatism holding that ideas and theories are instruments that function as guides for action or prediction, their validity determined by their degree of success rather than any criterion of truth.

instrumentalism

(ˌɪnstrəˈmɛntəˌlɪzəm) n1. (Philosophy) a system of pragmatic philosophy holding that ideas are instruments, that they should guide our actions and can change the world, and that their value consists not in their truth but in their success2. (Philosophy) an antirealist philosophy of science that holds that theories are not true or false but are merely tools for deriving predictions from observational data

in•stru•men•tal•ism

(ˌɪn strəˈmɛn tlˌɪz əm)

n. a variety of pragmatism maintaining that the truth of an idea is determined by its success in the active solution of a problem and that the value of ideas is determined by their function in human experience. [1905–10]

instrumentalism

a pragmatic philosophy holding that it is the function of thought to be a means to the control of environment, and that the value and truthfulness of ideas is determined by their usefulness in human experience or progress. — instrumentalist, n., adj.See also: Philosophy

the concept that ideas and thoughts are instruments of action and that their usefulness determines their truth. — instrumentalist, adj.See also: Ideas

Thesaurus

Noun

instrumentalism - a system of pragmatic philosophy that considers idea to be instruments that should guide our actions and their value is measured by their successpragmatism - (philosophy) the doctrine that practical consequences are the criteria of knowledge and meaning and value

instrumentalism

instrumentalism:

see Dewey, JohnDewey, John,
1859–1952, American philosopher and educator, b. Burlington, Vt., grad. Univ. of Vermont, 1879, Ph.D. Johns Hopkins, 1884. He taught at the universities of Minnesota (1888–89), Michigan (1884–88, 1889–94), and Chicago (1894–1904) and at
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Instrumentalism

the subjective idealist doctrine of the American philosopher John Dewey and his followers, a variety of pragmatism.

In the instrumentalist view, consciousness (or intelligence, in Dewey’s terms) is a means of adaptation to changing environmental conditions: logical concepts, ideas, and scientific laws and theories are all simply instruments (hence the name “instrumen-talism”), tools, “keys to situations,” or “plans for action.” In thus rejecting the objective content of knowledge and the view that truth is a reflection of material reality, instrumentalism regards truth in purely functional respects as something that “assures success in a given situation.” Taking the concept “situation” as central, instrumentalism singles out the organism (for example, an animal, a human being, or a society) and the environment as the chief aspects of a situation and declares the central problem to be the analysis of the relations between them. Insofar as the instrumentalist point of view regards environmental features as derivative from the actions of the organism, the organism appears as something primary, a view that makes it possible to characterize instrumentalism as one of the many varieties of subjective idealism.

The leading instrumentalists (Dewey, S. Hook) are active opponents of socialism and of Marxist-Leninist theory.

B. E. BYKHOVSKII

instrumentalism

in·stru·men·tal·ism

instrumentalism

in•stru•men•tal•ism

instrumentalism

instrumentalism

instrumentalism:

Instrumentalism

instrumentalism

Words related to instrumentalism

noun a system of pragmatic philosophy that considers idea to be instruments that should guide our actions and their value is measured by their success

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