Pragmatic is a word that describes an approach to problems or issues that is more focused on the practical consequences than on theory. It can also describe the behavior or policy that is guided by this philosophy. It is often contrasted with idealism, and the term pragmatic is sometimes used as a synonym for reality-based. People who are described as pragmatic tend to be more sensible, grounded and practical than those who are idealistic. For example, if someone has a four-year-old daughter who wants a unicorn for her birthday, her mother may not agree, as she would be more inclined to be pragmatic and give the child something that will be useful and appropriate rather than something purely whimsical.
Pragmatism is a philosophical trend that was developed by American philosophers William James, Dewey and others. It is a method of analysis that determines meaning and truth through direct, practical consequences. It is a style of thinking that encourages people to follow their own values, but be flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances. It is a type of epistemology that does not place undue emphasis on traditional philosophical foundations, such as logic, metaphysics or philosophy of mind. It has been applied to a wide range of topics, including biology, ethics and law.
A number of different approaches to pragmatics have been developed by scholars, and a major distinction is between far-side pragmatics and near-side pragmatics. Far-side pragmatics focuses on how an utterance is interpreted in the context of the speaker, while near-side pragmatics is more concerned with the nature of certain facts relevant to determining what has been said.
For instance, the theory of relevance, developed by Bach and Harnish, is a form of near-side pragmatics. It is based on the idea that the interpretation of an utterance depends upon both what the utterance says and what listeners believe it to mean. This is a recursive model, and it has been successfully applied to a variety of speech acts, including metaphor, hyperbole and politeness.
Another approach to pragmatics is that of computational pragmatics, which focuses on the way that computer systems can utilize contextual knowledge to better approximate natural human language and information processing abilities. This approach to the study of pragmatics is integral to the science of natural language processing, and it is a subfield of artificial intelligence. Reference resolution, the process of determining when two items are similar or different, is an important issue in computational pragmatics. It is also important in ensuring that computer programs are more realistic and understandable to the average person. The International Pragmatics Association is a professional organization for this field of research. Its goal is to foster cooperation and communication between researchers in the areas of pragmatics, linguistics and cognition. It was established in 1986. Its members include linguists and psychologists, as well as philosophers and mathematicians. It has a journal and an annual conference. In addition to its research, the association also promotes public education about pragmatics and pragmatism.