“To the citizens of Wisconsin: Unless we want Wisconsin to become a permanent third-world state, we need to stop electing fanatically dedicated partisan ideologues of all stripes and start electing pragmatic problem solvers.”

This was former Chancellor John D. Wiley’s departing message for Wisconsinites. His derision of ideology and appeal to pragmatic “solutions” echoes the predominate view in our culture. From politicians to college professors to the so-called “man on the street,” pragmatism is almost universally accepted. It’s also possibly the single most destructive force in our culture.

Pragmatism is the view that there’s no such thing as objective truth. Truth is whatever happens to work, for the moment. A recent popular book arguing for pragmatism describes it this way: “Pragmatist thought begins from the premise that all knowledge is perspective and all realities are constantly in the process of changing and becoming something else.” Thus, truth is a matter of perspective, and reality is fleeting, never to be pinned down. Accordingly pragmatists scorn principles and worship flexibility, compromise and “doing what works.”

We can see pragmatism’s influence everywhere.

Politicians pledge to “put aside our differences” and adopt “middle-of-the-road” positions on every issue. As a result, it is nearly impossible to determine what a candidate actually believes or what he will do in office. The only consistent promise is his or her willingness to be flexible, cross party lines and work for unity.

Our foreign policy consists of denouncing our enemies as evil one day and dropping food packages on them the next. We send troops to topple one dictator while sending billions in aid to another.

Our mealy-mouthed politicians and neurotic foreign policy is a direct result of pragmatism’s grip on our culture. “Fight either/or thinking,” we’re told “the world isn’t black and white.”

Holding strong convictions of right and wrong, true or false is regarded as an obstacle to progress, while one’s ability to compromise is touted as the height of virtue. The battle for ideological control of our nation must stop, claims a recent editorial writer: “We need a few socialists and a few libertarians.”

Pragmatism rejects identifying basic principles behind these social systems and evaluating them accordingly. Regardless of the ideas involved, the mantra is “don’t go to extremes.” Whether one is an extreme advocate of freedom, or of slavery, both are smeared as “extremist.”

Pragmatism’s appeal derives from its claim of being practical. One can either be practical or idealistic it is widely believed, but not both. But pragmatism’s claim to practicality is a farce. Living successful, prosperous lives requires principles, abstract concepts and moral standards.

Doctors do not treat each patient as a unique case to be cured by trial and error; they apply the principles of medicine Success in life is achieved conceptually, not by staring at each new situation in isolation. Yet in the humanities, pragmatism is the norm.

College students are taught to avoid “egocentrism.” “Egocentrics,” according to a textbook “are selfish, self-absorbed people who view their interests, ideas, and values as superior to everyone else’s. All of us are affected to some degree by egocentric biases.” In other words, the very fact that you think you’re right is evidence of bias. Do you judge your culture as superior to another? If so, you likely have a “socio-centric” bias.

To judge one’s own views or culture as superior to another and to be intolerant of ideas and actions one abhors is regarded as inherently biased, impractical and idealistic. Instead, we are taught to embrace multiculturalism and tolerance.

Imagine what the world would be like if giants like Galileo, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, who fought for their interests, ideas and values had swallowed the poison of pragmatism. “Give me liberty or give me death!” That sounds a bit self-absorbed, doesn’t it?

By rejecting principle, absolute truths, moral standards and evaluation, pragmatism destroys man’s means of being practical. It leaves him helpless to understand the world the only way he can: conceptually.

Reality is not an amorphous, fleeting phenomenon — it is an unforgiving absolute. As such, it is crucial we come to know which principles are true and which are false. We must judge which actions are right and which are wrong. We must identify which social systems lead to prosperity and which lead to mass slaughter. We must define and understand the purpose of government, the principles required for economic prosperity and the moral righteousness of our actions.

This requires rejecting pragmatism in all its forms and adopting a principled, conceptual approach. It requires taking ideas seriously. Our lives literally depend on it. What could be more practical?

Jim Allard ([email protected]) is a graduate student in biological sciences.