Pragmatic is a philosophy that deals with things sensibly and realistically, focusing on practical considerations rather than abstract principles. The term is also used to describe people who prioritize real-world solutions and results over theoretical ideals. Pragmatic people are flexible and adaptable, often willing to compromise in order to achieve their goals.
The philosophical ideas of pragmatism can be found in many different areas, including epistemology, metaphysics, metaphilosophy, logic and ethics. Some pragmatists are epistemological relativists and believe that truth is relative to the context in which an idea is presented, while others advocate forms of empiricism, fallibilism and verificationism. Other pragmatists see knowledge as an ongoing process of trial and error that is constantly changing in response to new circumstances.
One of the most important aspects of pragmatism is the idea that human language cannot be fully described or explained in terms of its semantic meaning, but must also take into account its pragmatic meaning, which is based on the way in which an utterance is understood by its audience. Pragmatics studies the role of context and intention in understanding speech acts, and there are many types of pragmatics: formal and computational; theoretical and applied; intercultural and interlinguistic; cognitive, clinical and neuropragmatics; and historical pragmatics.
While pragmatism is not a philosophy of faith, it has been used to define various philosophical trends and viewpoints, such as realism. Realism is a philosophy of reality that asserts that objects, events and experiences exist objectively in the world around us. Realism also focuses on the fact that humans are able to perceive, evaluate and interact with the environment in which they live.
For example, imagine that you are applying for a job. The company you are interviewing with offers you a lower position than the one that you originally applied for, but instead of rejecting the offer entirely and looking for another job, you decide to accept it because it is better than nothing and you may get the chance to eventually move up. This type of decision is an example of pragmatism, because it involves weighing the benefits and drawbacks of a situation in relation to its pragmatic value.
The word pragmatic comes from the Latin praeger, which means “to advance.” A person who is pragmatic seeks solutions that are likely to be effective in real-world situations and doesn’t get bogged down by abstract theories that might not work in practice. Basically, pragmatists focus on the practical side of things and are willing to adjust their ideas accordingly.