Cargo cults are an interesting and unique example that can be used to illustrate the practical utility of beliefs, and how pragmatism evaluates them. Cargo cults were religious movements that emerged in the South Pacific islands during and after World War II. These groups believed that the Western cargo planes that landed on their islands were sent by the gods, and that by performing rituals such as building landing strips, they could attract more planes and receive the cargo that they brought with them.
Pragmatism, as a philosophy, emphasizes the practical utility of beliefs. According to this perspective, beliefs should be judged by their usefulness rather than their truth. Therefore, a belief can be pragmatically justified if it helps a person achieve their practical goals or serves a useful purpose in their lives, even if it is not actually true.
However, it is important to note that pragmatism does not guarantee true beliefs. The example of the cargo cult's belief that the plane is a god is a good illustration of this. The belief in a divine plane may have helped the cargo cult achieve their practical goals, such as receiving goods from the outside world, but it is not a true belief.
In other words, pragmatism may justify holding a belief that is not true if it is useful in achieving practical goals, but it does not guarantee that the belief is actually true. Therefore, it is important to critically examine beliefs and seek evidence to support them, even if they seem pragmatically justified.
Pragmatists hold that beliefs are justified to the extent that they help us solve problems and achieve our goals, and that we should revise or abandon beliefs that fail to do so. This means that beliefs are not justified on purely theoretical or abstract grounds, but rather must be grounded in practical experience and empirical evidence. If a belief contradicts our practical experience or fails to help us achieve our goals, it would no longer be pragmatically justified.
Produced by Clint Warren - Aided by ChatGPT
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