Pragmatic is the philosophical term for a person who deals with things sensibly, realistically and in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations. This is sometimes seen as a positive trait, though it can also be at odds with risk taking and being a visionary. People who are pragmatic are often seen as middle of the road, and they take arguments from all sides into account when making decisions.
This philosophical theory has been applied to many different fields. For example, there is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that is pragmatic and is based on changing how one thinks about certain situations. There are also pragmatist views on leadership that emphasize the ability to adapt to the changing needs of one’s followers.
One of the most widely known applications of pragmatics is in law, where it involves interpreting legal documents to ensure that they meet all of the required requirements. For instance, a lawyer might review a contract and determine that it is not in compliance with the law, so they would advise their client to change it.
Another area of application for pragmatics is in social science. A study of discourse can be used to gain a better understanding of human communication and behavior, and it has been applied to topics such as political speeches, courtroom arguments, and even in relationships. It can be used to examine the meaning of words, what their speakers mean when they use them, and how the context in which they are spoken affects their meaning.
A major issue that has been debated in pragmatics is the question of the relationship between semantics and pragmatics. For example, there is a problem in determining the semantic meaning of a description, and some philosophers have argued that this question falls within the domain of pragmatics. However, others have argued that the determination of semantic meaning is the purview of semantics and not pragmatics.
The concept of pragmatics is closely related to semiotics, which is the study of signs and how they function. Semiotics is a broad field and there are several subfields, including lexicology, semantics, and the interpretation of language. The term pragmatism was coined by the American philosopher Charles Peirce, and he wrote extensively on many subjects, including logic, mathematics, sociology, psychology, and religion.
A defining feature of pragmatism is that something is only true insofar as it works. This is a metaphysical position that leaves open the possibility of transcendent truths, but it is also at odds with some religious claims that assert that something is true in any case because they have been useful to humans. Peirce was not a theist, but his philosophy did have implications for philosophy of religion. The neopragmatists that followed him such as Richard Rorty have been accused of being relativistic, and they have faced criticism from other analytic philosophers as well. However, many neopragmatists defend their positions on the grounds that they are simply the latest development in a long tradition of pragmatism.