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Elyse Williams
13 October 2008
Rogers A4

The Idealistic Pragmatist

“Look what my dad gave me. My mom was going to throw it out but it was I was like,
‘No way!’” My boyfriend pulled out an intricately handcrafted wooden ship from the 18th
century. “Wow, I said, what a waste of cash. You could’ve bought a really nice steam cleaner for
less than that, and I can think of a hundred more times you could have used one.”
In short, pragmatism is the belief in the grounded dedication to logic above all, whether
the answer is pleasant or not. In the film, A Man for All Seasons, the best example of a
pragmatist would be Cardinal Wolsey. He says, “You're a constant regret to me, Thomas. If you
could just see facts flat-on, without that horrible moral squint... With a little common sense you
could have made a statesman.” Unlike the idealist Sir Thomas More, he wants to go along with
the kings wishes and will do anything he can to make sure the king gets a divorce and has a son.
He is very practical in his reasoning. Another great example of a pragmatist is Benjamin
Franklin. He was a great advocator of frugality and never did anything not worth doing. He said,
“God helps them that help themselves.” This seems to be a big philosophy in pragmatism. If you
do not help yourself how can you even begin to help others?
Doing what you believe to be right for yourself and making frugal and practical decisions
is a good way to live. However we should still maintain a high sense of morality and
standards. A person who considers themselves a pragmatist may not have that high moral
standard that is necessary, but perhaps an idealist would. Therefore is it necessary to have
a balance of both pragmatic and idealistic values in oneself. Aspiring to high standards and
principles is a nice notion, but without action it means nothing. On the other hand “action
without thought is like shooting without aim” Which brings us to the conclusion again that
without idealistic values pragmatism is worthless.
In A Man for All Seasons Sir Thomas More is the perfect example of a blend of both
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idealism and pragmatism. He is an idealist in the sense that he wishes for the king to have a boy
without divorce and that the king will compromise. However that is to high of a goal to be
actually seen out. He is a pragmatist in the way that he chooses to keep quiet about his views on
the kings marriage to Catherine. If he says that she is his wife then he will assuredly die. He is
pragmatic by choosing to keep quiet. But at the same time he is being idealistic by choosing to
keep his morals and not take an oath saying that Catherine is not the king’s wife.
One may wonder what would be a good example of a modern idealist/pragmatist
situation. An idealist would say that today's economic crisis will work out in the end, no matter
what, because we have the best work force in the world and are the greatest country. This isn’t
practical and therefore is wrong. It is easy to confuse a pragmatist person with a pessimist
because of their blunt ways of viewing things. However it is easily discernable in this situation.
A pessimist would say that we are facing a depression with no way out. While a pragmatic
person would say that the economy faces crisis, and only under good leadership and regulation
can it be salvaged. It is important for one to understand what pragmatism and idealism are before
they claim themselves to be one or the either and in many instances both. Pragmatism is, in
general, a practical approach to problems and affairs. While idealism is aspiring to or living in
accordance with high standards or principles. It can also be seem as realism in some forms which
is also a practical understanding and acceptance of the actual nature of the world rather than an
idealized view of things. It may seem somewhat of a paradox for a person to be both an idealist
and a pragmatist in some ways. However I think it is not only sensible but the greatest path to
follow in your life.