What Can I Live With?
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pragmatism, wrote, “Facts are good, of course—give us lots
of facts. Principles are good—give us plenty of principles.”
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An old saying tells us that we see the world, not as it is,
but as we are. In other words, thoughtful, intelligent peo-
ple, looking at the same situation, will differ about what the
situation is and what to do about it. The four questions are
antidotes to the hazards of this reality. They can help us to
some extent see the world as it actually is or at least see it
as others see it. Sound deliberation counters the temptation
to grasp hold of a single grand principle and use it to dom-
inate other ways of thinking. This means viewing the five
questions, not as majestic, final truths, but as useful, every-
day tools. Carpenters work with toolboxes. They don’t try to
do everything with a saw or a screwdriver. The same, sensi-
ble approach works for the great humanist questions. This
means desanctifying and demystifying them, seeing them as
implements, and using them all.
This approach improves deliberation and judgment because
the questions complement, correct, and strengthen each other.
To see this, think about people you know. Some think natu-
rally in terms of consequences, some feel strongly obligated
by their duties, others are naturally or even disturbingly prag-
matic, and some seem to embody, in what they say and do, the
important values of a community or organization. Each of us
has natural grooves in our thinking, and this can lead to prob-
lems. People who think only about consequences can trample
on basic human duties. Pragmatism alone can be amoral or
worse. And a preoccupation with the values that bind a group
together can obscure serious consequences for people outside
the group and strong duties to them.
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