William James Pragmatic Truth Toolkit
Use every relevant method to establish facts before deciding
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~ongoing to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 94%
Schur describes William James's pragmatism as a toolkit that cares more about arriving at reliable truth than about defending one philosophical school. The decision-maker may use utilitarian reasoning, religious thought, or another method if it helps establish a fact that can be relied upon. The process starts with the real question, draws from every relevant tool, and separates usable truths from theoretical allegiance. A decision is then based on what the inquiry can actually support. Schur calls this the jambalaya of philosophy because everything useful can go into the pot. The mechanism fits an increasingly complex world: no single theory must carry every case, and methods are judged by whether they help uncover something real rather than whether they preserve ideological purity.
Origin
Schur chose William James as his second speed-dial philosopher and described pragmatism as especially useful in a complex modern world.
Core principles
- 01Reliable truth matters more than loyalty to one theory
- 02Different methods can contribute useful evidence
- 03Facts should anchor decisions
- 04Complexity demands multiple tools
How to run it
- 1
Define the question
State what must be decided and which uncertainties prevent a grounded choice.
- 2
Open the tool belt
Identify every theory, discipline, or method that may reveal something useful about the question.
Pro tip Include approaches you would not normally treat as your default.
Watch out Do not reject a method merely because it comes from another school.
- 3
Establish what is true
Use the available methods to find facts or conclusions that can be tested and relied upon.
Watch out A preferred theory is not itself evidence that its conclusion is true.
- 4
Anchor the decision
Base the choice on the reliable truths produced by the inquiry rather than loyalty to one method.
In the wild
For a difficult moral choice, a person could examine consequences, duties, virtues, and the concrete facts of the situation rather than insisting that only one school is admissible. The methods remain useful to the extent that they expose something reliable.
→ The final judgment rests on a broader factual foundation instead of a single theoretical filter.
Common mistakes
Serving the theory
Treating loyalty to one school as the goal reverses pragmatism's priority of establishing truth.
Confusing variety with truth
Using many methods is useful only when they help produce facts that can actually be relied upon.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for complex decisions where several disciplines, theories, or evidence sources can clarify what is true.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal when a claimed fact cannot be tested or when a decision requires values that evidence alone cannot settle.
From the transcript
“he doesn't care what method you use as long as you get to some kind of truth or fact and then base your decision on…”
“every tool in our tool belt we should be able to use at any moment in order to arrive at something that we can agree…”
From the episode
#565: Michael Schur, Creator of “The Good Place” — How SNL Trains Writers, His TV University at “The Office,” Lessons from Lorne Michaels, Wisdom from David Foster Wallace, and Exploring Moral Philosophy with “How to Be Perfect”
Michael Schur