Pragmatic is a philosophical school of thought that is concerned with practical problems and solutions. It is a philosophy that stresses the importance of context in understanding meaning and action. It also emphasizes the importance of learning from experience. Its origin is traced to the work of John Dewey, William James and Charles Sanders Peirce. This school of thought has been a major influence on research in public administration. Its principles have influenced the theory of human development. Its applications have been found in such fields as sociology, psychology, ethics and public policy.
People are often told that they should be more pragmatic. This usually means that they should focus on realistic options and courses of action rather than limiting themselves to those that are idealistic. In practice, however, being pragmatic can be difficult to do. A person may find that the practical option is to compromise, or they may choose to stick to their ideals no matter what the cost.
Some of the major ideas behind pragmatism are that knowledge is a process of acquiring and using beliefs that represent reality. Those beliefs acquire meaning through the process of interacting with the environment, and they only qualify as true or false depending on how useful they prove to be in inquiry and action. This view is sometimes referred to as “pragmatic fallibilism.”
Another central idea of pragmatism is that there is no such thing as a pure, fundamental, objective truth. In fact, all of the knowledge that humans possess is only partial and limited. It is only in the struggle of intelligent organisms with their environment that knowledge acquires a more complete and accurate picture of reality. This is a view that is sometimes called “pragmatic epistemology.”
Many of the important thinkers associated with pragmatism have worked in a variety of disciplines, including sociology, political science, ethics and philosophy. In the modern era, it has gained popularity in education, where it is known as pragmatic pedagogy. One of the most influential educational philosophers to embrace this approach is John Dewey, who advocated a holistic approach that seeks to help children grow and develop as full citizens.
The term pragmatic has also been used to describe the way a person approaches problems. Someone who is pragmatic is willing to accept the facts of a situation and make decisions that are best for the overall situation. Someone who is not pragmatic is more likely to be stubborn or inflexible when trying to solve a problem.
There are different branches of pragmatism, each with its own set of philosophical influences. The broad contemporary category of neopragmatism includes those who incorporate some of the ideas of classical pragmatists such as Dewey, James and Peirce, while also diverging from them in certain respects. These differences can be in terms of philosophy, disciplines or even conceptual formation. Some neopragmatists are loyal to analytic philosophy, while others are closer to Continental philosophy. The field of linguistic pragmatics is an example of the latter. It focuses on the use of language, rather than the meanings or grammar of words.