Pragmatic is the study of how meaning is constructed and understood through interaction and context. It looks beyond the literal meaning of an utterance to consider implied meanings and the ways in which we interact with others to convey our ideas and thoughts. Pragmatics is a fundamental part of how we use language and communicate with one another.
The word pragmatic comes from the Greek pragma, meaning “deed,” and has been used to describe people who are practical in their approach to life. A pragmatic person is concerned with how things work rather than with what should be or could be. For example, a four-year-old who wants a unicorn for her birthday probably isn’t being very pragmatic.
In philosophy, pragmatism is a theory that is grounded in everyday experience. It argues that we learn and know through experience, and it’s important to understand how this knowledge is created, or derived. The main concept behind pragmatism is that there are no universal truths, but instead that each individual has his or her own truths based on experiences.
Classical pragmatists are Charles Sanders Peirce, William James and Josiah Royce. They were the founders of American pragmatism and were heavily influenced by the scientific revolution that was taking place at the time, particularly evolution. Their writings were highly influential and they were able to develop and popularize their views.
Although they had many followers, classical pragmatism was ultimately undone by its own success. With its strong emphasis on ‘experience’ and naturalism, pragmatism was easily manipulated and co-opted for political, ideological, or religious purposes. Its influence was also diminished by the growing professionalism of philosophy as a specialized academic discipline. As a result, it began to be derided by rank and file analytic philosophers.
However, Quine’s (1908-2000) “Two Dogmas of Empiricism” challenged positivist orthodoxy and revived some aspects of pragmatism, while other analytic philosophers have had varying degrees of interest in it. Contemporary philosophers have been developing a new form of pragmatism, known as neopragmatism.
Neopragmatism has developed into a multi-disciplinary field, with contributions in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, moral philosophy, law, philosophy of science, aesthetics, and political philosophy among other areas. Its most significant contribution is perhaps in discourse ethics, a theory that tries to scaffold an authentic communicative practice free of the distortions of power and ideology (Habermas 2003). Despite its rich legacy, neopragmatism is still a marginal philosophical movement with only limited appeal outside of analytic philosophy circles. However, it is still worth considering and examining, especially as an alternative to other dominant approaches to philosophy such as objectivism and realism. Moreover, the field of pragmatics has applications in therapy for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, where it may be useful in teaching pragmatic skills. The goal is to help people develop appropriate interactions and coping strategies through the use of visual supports, role playing, and social stories. These strategies can be taught and practised during natural environments, and they can also be implemented in a structured manner in the classroom.