Pragmatics is the study of the practical aspects of human behavior and thought. This branch of psychology looks at more than the literal meaning of an utterance; instead, it considers the implied meanings and meaning construction. It also considers the value of language as an instrument for human interaction. As such, pragmatics is important to an understanding of language. Without it, we would have little understanding of meaning and how it works.
Pragmatism originated in the late 16th century. Its name is derived from the Greek words pragmatikos, meaning ‘pertaining to fact’, and pragma, ‘doing.’ The concept of pragmatism is also often referred to as American pragmatism, because many of its practitioners were American.
Pragmatists argue that meaning is tied to use. They also define criteria for recognizing concepts. These criteria are similar to those used by deflationists. However, pragmatists tend to reject deflationist accounts as being too austere. They argue that there is a more practical way to understand the value of meaning.
Although Pragmatics has been widely discussed and influenced by Semantics, the boundary between the two fields has remained unclear. This is because many of the formalizations of pragmatics are linked to context dependence. Examples of this are the semantics of indexicals and the problem of referential descriptions.
Since its first formulation, pragmatic theories have faced several objections. Some are narrow, but others are general and challenge the assumptions behind pragmatic theories of truth. For example, James’ account was met with numerous criticisms. Many of these objections also apply to other pragmatic theories. This article will look at some of these more general objections to the pragmatic theory of truth.
Pragmatic theories of truth focus on speech acts and commitments, rather than the content of truth itself. This focus places greater emphasis on the practical and performative aspects of truth-talk and on the role of truth in shaping discourse. However, this approach does not imply that truth cannot be used as a tool, but rather a tool.