Pragmatic is a philosophical term describing an approach or attitude that focuses on what works and on achieving results, rather than on ideals or theories that may not work in practice. The word pragmatic is also used to refer to a person or thing that is practical and reasonable.
A pragmatic view is often a good way to handle conflict, as it involves finding solutions that are likely to be acceptable to both sides of an argument. It is also a good approach to dealing with issues of morality, since it tends to avoid extreme positions that are unlikely to be successful in practice. The concept of pragmatism is central to Dewey’s theory of education, where he advocates a pragmatic approach that takes into account the realities of people’s lives and allows for different opinions and approaches.
The philosophy of pragmatism is often associated with American philosophy, since many of its early proponents were Americans, including Peirce and James. It has also been called the ‘American philosophy’ or the ‘American epistemology’ because of its key role in establishing a distinctive epistemological outlook, which is sometimes referred to as pragmatic epistemology.
Initially, the ‘pragmatic maxim’ (or rule) that forms the core of pragmatism was developed as a method or principle for clarifying concepts and hypotheses by tracing their ‘practical consequences’ – their implications in experience. This gave rise to an original a posteriori epistemology that differs from rationalism and from a priori empiricism. Early pragmatists also divided over questions of realism broadly conceived, with Peirce holding a scientific monism about truth and James advocating a broad alethic pluralism.
Contemporary philosophers who are pragmatists have interpreted the notion of ‘practical consequence’ in various ways. Some have focused on semantics and the philosophy of language, others have developed a complex analytic version of pragmatism. A number of neopragmatists have drawn on a wider range of philosophical influences, including Sellars, Quine and Rorty, and are not committed to a specific interpretation of classical pragmatism.
The most important and influential of these is probably Richard Rorty, whose work has established a broad scholarly following. His views are influenced by a wide range of thinkers, from Dewey and Deleuze to Wittgenstein and Husserl. He has also incorporated some elements of pragmatism into his own theory of knowledge, which is a form of constructive realism. He has also been critical of ‘classical pragmatists’ and emphasises the importance of focusing on how things are in practice, not just what they are logically or metaphysically, though he acknowledges that this is not an unproblematic position. His latest book, ‘A Genealogy of Pragmatism’, is a valuable resource for students of the philosophy. He is also a leading scholar on the history of philosophy. His recent work on Cultural Realism extends and deepens pragmatism’s insights, especially into the history of Western thought. He is the author of numerous books, including ‘The Present Dilemma in Philosophy’ and ‘A Theory of Meaning’.