Pragmatic is the study of language as it relates to communication and interaction. It looks beyond the literal meaning of an utterance, and instead focuses on the implication of that utterance and the responses to it. It is a broad and diverse field that includes speech act theory, linguistic semantics, conversational implicature, and other topics.
One of the main tenets of pragmatism is that human knowledge is limited and incomplete. It is not possible to take a “god’s eye view” and obtain a comprehensive understanding of reality. However, pragmatism also emphasizes that the limitations of our knowledge should not prevent us from making progress in science and in other areas.
This philosophy also stresses the connection between thought and action, and it has had significant influence in fields such as public administration, leadership studies, international relations, conflict resolution, and research methodology. Many of these fields employ the tenets of pragmatism to develop solutions to real-world problems and to increase the effectiveness of their practitioners.
In the context of philosophical discourse, pragmatism represents a third alternative to traditional analytic and continental philosophical traditions, emerging in the United States around 1870. Charles Sanders Peirce and William James are credited with promoting the ideas of pragmatism, although they differed on some aspects of their understanding of it.
The key elements of pragmatism involve an empiricist commitment to experience and going by the facts, and a utilitarian emphasis on what works best in practice. These two ideas are in tension with each other and form a fundamental clash of temperaments. James identified this dilemma in 1907 when he published a series of lectures called “Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking.”
Among the most famous practitioners of pragmatism are entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Angela Merkel, who combine vision with a pragmatic approach to policymaking; investors such as Warren Buffett and Bill Gates; and activists like Malala Yousafzai, who balance courage with pragmatism. The philosophies of pragmatism have also had an impact on business, law, and medicine.
In the classroom, teachers often incorporate a pragmatic approach to instruction by linking it to content in their textbooks. For example, when they are reviewing a textbook unit on apologizing, they might include information about the different ways people apologize in their home culture and their target language. They may also use activities such as request scenarios in which students decide how they would make a request and then discuss the results of their choices. Pragmatics is a valuable topic to include in your English language class, and this month’s Teacher’s Corner will provide you with resources and suggestions for including pragmatic instruction in your lessons.