Pragmatic is a philosophical term that refers to a way of thinking and acting that focuses on practical outcomes. For example, if you are a hypnotherapist and want to help a patient with their problem, you will focus on what techniques most likely will work for that particular patient rather than on theoretical issues like how the hypnosis works. This is pragmatic because it saves time and increases the chances of a successful treatment.
There are two major philosophies related to pragmatism, the “Literalist” approach and the “contextualist” approach. The latter tends to view pragmatics as a subset of semantics, with semantics having some relevance, but the main emphasis being on the context-dependence of meaning and how that is worked out by the speaker and the listener using language in a particular situation. Some of the major philosophers associated with this approach include Mead, Dewey, and James.
Another important aspect of pragmatism is that it emphasizes the importance of action. Its practitioners believe that existence is in a constant state of becoming and that actions are the only way to change it (Goldkuhl 2012; Morgan 2014a). This means that pragmatists don’t think that a certain piece of knowledge has any ultimate validity or that logic can prove anything, but they do see it as one tool among many for understanding the world around us.
Being a pragmatist also means that you are willing to adapt to changes and discard old traditions or beliefs that don’t work for you anymore. It is this flexibility of perception that makes it easier to live a happier and more fulfilling life.
You can be a moral, ethical person and still be pragmatic. For example, killing your creditor might seem pragmatic from the standpoint of not having to pay a debt, but it isn’t from the standpoint of a community that has lost a productive member or your family.
When it comes to research, pragmatism also has its drawbacks. It can be difficult to define a meaningful research question, select appropriate methods, and assess whether the results are useful and valid (Edmundson 2004). However, scholars have found that, by following the steps of pragmatism – establishing an epistemological perspective, designing the research, selecting appropriate methodologies, reflecting on these choices, and then evaluating the results – researchers can avoid falling into pitfalls (Robson 1993). For instance, they might follow Kuhn’s concept of paradigms, in which researchers design the research, choose the most suitable methodology for their investigation, and reflect on the nature of the questions and how they will be answered before proceeding to step four and conducting the research (Morgan 2007). By doing so, they are more likely to produce meaningful and valid research findings.