Pragmatic is a philosophical perspective that emphasizes real world conditions and circumstances when considering options for action or decision-making. It is often contrasted with the word idealistic, which implies a focus on high principles and perfect solutions. People who are pragmatic tend to consider what can realistically be accomplished rather than what could or should be done, and they also place an importance on outcomes and consequences.
Pragmatism has many different applications and has been utilized in a wide variety of research methods. While it may seem like pragmatism and positivist or interpretivist approaches are mutually exclusive, they can be combined to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the research problem. Pragmatic research incorporates operational decisions that are based on ‘what will work best to find answers’ to the research questions, which can lead to innovative and dynamic ways of conducting research.
Despite being a relatively new and developing philosophy, pragmatism has become one of the most widely used and accepted research frameworks in a range of disciplines. It is especially prominent in science, where it has been applied to a broad spectrum of research topics and methodologies. In particular, the development of computational pragmatics has helped to bridge the gap between human and computer interpretations of language and communication and has contributed to the emergence of a new field of study called “natural language processing” (NLP).
It is also becoming increasingly common in educational settings, with educators and teachers incorporating pragmatics into their instruction. Pragmatics is an important component to teach, as it allows learners to better understand the ways in which speakers use language to convey meaning in specific contexts and cultures. For example, an English teacher can introduce the topic of pragmatics by having students engage in a role-play activity involving different greetings with speakers from various locations and cultures.
Traditionally, the study of pragmatics has been divided into two major categories: semantics and syntax. Semantics is concerned with the relationship between words and their meanings, while syntax is concerned with how sentences are put together to form linguistic units. Contemporary philosophical views on pragmatics are generally classified as either ‘literalists’ or ‘contextualists’, and each view is influenced by the other.
While pragmatism is most commonly associated with American philosophers, it has gained followers in many parts of the world. In fact, many of the core ideas of pragmatism originated in discussions at a so-called metaphysical club that took place at Harvard around 1870. Peirce and James published a number of articles describing their pragmatic views at this time, and their work had a profound influence on later philosophers, psychologists and legal scholars.
For instance, the notion that human knowledge is always incomplete and contested owes much to pragmatic philosophy, as does Habermas’s concept of discourse ethics and the concept of truth in sociology. Moreover, a wide range of social sciences and humanities have benefited from pragmatism’s emphasis on relevance theory and the pragmatics of inquiry.