Pragmatic is a philosophical movement that includes those who believe that an idea or proposition is only valid if it produces acceptable outcomes, that what really matters in life are the results of our actions and beliefs, and that we must be pragmatic in our pursuits. This movement was first launched in the United States during the last quarter of the nineteenth century, but it has also influenced non-philosophers in areas such as law, education, politics, sociology, and psychology, as well as literature and literary criticism.
It is easy to see why pragmatism completely implodes when applied to empirical issues, but this fallacy is more difficult to spot in ethical and moral areas. As a result, the more dangerous flaws in pragmatism may not be readily apparent to people, until it’s too late.
The original pragmatist triumvirate comprised Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey. While James and Dewey had many disciples, the pragmatists as a whole did not fare well in a rapidly burgeoning analytic philosophy that dominated American (and to some extent European) thought after 1940. In the end, Dewey was largely undone by his own egotism, which led to his obfuscating many of his ideas. While he was a highly respected scientist, philosopher, and educator, he did not make the most of his talents in logic or the philosophy of science; he also made no effort to distinguish between what is and isn’t useful knowledge.
Similarly, the pragmatists fell short in their attempt to distinguish between semantics and syntax, which focuses on the actual objects or ideas that words refer to, and pragmatics, which studies implied meanings. This obfuscation, coupled with the rise of analytic philosophy, marked the beginning of the end for pragmatism.
Even so, pragmatism has had a long afterlife in places where analytic philosophy is less influential. The work of Quine and Wittgenstein, among others, has incorporated a pragmatic element to challenge positivist orthodoxy.
A pragmatic approach to speech/language therapy is centered around the concept of communication competence, which includes the ability to understand and use grammatical structures as appropriate for the context and occasion. Typically, this involves knowing how to use prepositions, conjunctions, and verb tenses. However, it is important to recognize that a child’s pragmatic language skills may vary due to their cultural and environmental background.
This is why it is important for a speech-language pathologist to take into consideration cultural norms and the environment of the child when assessing and treating pragmatic language deficits. In addition, the client/family’s goals must always be taken into account as well; if they do not want to receive pragmatic language intervention that is absolutely fine. This is a highly personal decision.