Pragmatic is a word often used to describe people, actions or plans that are practical and reasonable. This can contrast with idealism, which is more focused on ideals. Many people navigate life by a mixture of pragmatism and idealism, making compromises and taking the best course of action that fits into their circumstances.
Pragmatism is also a philosophical school of thought that emphasizes context and a pragmatic view of truth. It is often combined with empiricism, fallibilism and verificationism. Pragmatist philosophers have included William James, Charles Sanders Peirce and John Dewey.
The pragmatists’ view is that something is only true insofar as it helps humans struggle with their environments. For example, the claim that prayers are heard may help human beings feel comforted and bolster their spirits but does not imply that they bring about any change in the world. The pragmatist position, however, does not deny the existence of transcendent realities.
In the philosophy of language, pragmatism emphasizes the way that meaning is determined by the linguistic context and focuses on what speakers are trying to communicate rather than on phonetics and grammar. Linguists who specialize in this field are called pragmaticians.
Contemporary pragmatists are divided into two camps. Those who are “literalists” believe that semantics is basically autonomous with very little pragmatic ‘intrusion’; and those who are ‘contextualists’ accept the basic outlines of Relevance Theory but perhaps demur on its many details and psychological orientation. Despite these differences, the various forms of pragmatism are united by their emphasis on context and their rejection of ‘absolute truth’ as an important goal in philosophy.
Other important elements of pragmatism include an anti-foundationalism and a focus on functional efficacy as the main criterion for judging the validity of claims (as opposed to metaphysical or ontological assertions). In addition, some pragmatists have adopted various forms of empiricism and a kind of naturalist metaphilosophy.
Several pragmatist philosophers have also developed formal logic and argumentation techniques. Some pragmatists, like Schiller, are critical of formal logic’s pretension to ultimate validity and see it as just one tool among others. Others, such as Toulmin, have incorporated elements of logic into their pragmatism and promoted a kind of epistemological relativism in philosophy.
In modern times, the term pragmatic has been applied to a wide range of fields and disciplines. It is sometimes associated with the work of psychologists and sociologists who use the principles of pragmatism in their analyses. It is also used to refer to the pragmatics journal, which was founded in 1986 and publishes articles on pragmatic philosophy and theory. The journal is a member of the International Pragmatics Association. It is a good place to start for those interested in pragmatic philosophy and the related science of pragmatics. The journal is published by the American Academy for the Advancement of Philosophy and contains articles, reviews, and essays on a variety of topics in philosophy and the social sciences. Its contributors include philosophers, psychologists, and sociologists.