Pragmatic
A pragmatist approaches problems in a practical way. He takes things one step at a time, focusing on how to get the job done and not getting bogged down in theoretical arguments. This pragmatic approach is often a result of his upbringing, as his parents raised him to be practical. However, it can be a disadvantage if he doesn’t take the time to think about the bigger picture and consider the implications of his actions.
The pragmatist philosophy was originally developed by Charles Sanders Peirce and William James during discussions at the so-called Metaphysical Club in Harvard beginning in 1870. These ideas reached a wider audience through James’ lectures on the subject in 1898. Pragmatism has become an important philosophical movement in the United States, though it is not as widely known outside of philosophy circles.
Pragmatics is the study of the context-dependence of various aspects of linguistic interpretation. Its branches include speech act theory, rhetorical structure, and the theory of conversational implicature. It also examines the relationship between meaning and the ways in which a particular utterance can convey ambiguous or indexical information, and it seeks to determine the truth-conditions of utterances based on their use of contextual information.
For example, if a speaker says “I have two sons,” the pragmatic interpretation of the statement is that it’s true unless otherwise indicated by contextual factors such as prior questions or the presence of other speakers. If the question is a statement and the answer a response, the context will influence the truth-conditions as well.
Another example of a pragmatic view is that something is true only in so far as it works. This is the approach taken by pragmatists such as William James, who believed that religion was only true in so far as it worked.
This pragmatic view of the world and human life has helped to shape a number of liberatory philosophical projects, including feminism, ecology, Native American, and Latin American philosophy. Increasingly, these projects are incorporating the pragmatists’ emphasis on the connection between thought and action. The pragmatist philosophers have been critical of the idealism that permeates much of western philosophy and have sought to make knowledge useful by emphasizing its pragmatic application. In doing so, they have challenged the traditional hierarchy of moral and metaphysical values. They have also emphasized the plasticity of reality and its practical function in adapting to change. The pragmatists have been most critical of metaphysical doctrines that delegate change to the merely natural or supernatural level.