The study of human action and thought is often called pragmatics. The study looks beyond the literal meaning of a human utterance to its underlying meanings, implied meanings, and other features of language that affect communication. Pragmatics is integral to understanding language, as without it, we would have little understanding of meaning. However, pragmatics is not the only way to study human behavior. To understand human behavior, you need to consider how our words and sentences function in practical situations.
Pragmatism developed in the late nineteenth century in the United States. It has since spread to many areas of human activity, including law, education, and politics. In addition to philosophers, pragmatism has influenced non-philosophers and has made its mark on a variety of fields, including sociology, psychology, and literary criticism. Here are some of the key terms to know about pragmatism. When applied to philosophy, pragmatism is the philosophy of practicality.
If pragmatic language is absent in the child’s speech or other language, it’s likely that they have some sort of developmental or language disorder. Using role-play situations and visual supports can help children with poor pragmatic skills learn to interact with others. Social stories can also help them learn pragmatic language. If you suspect your child may have pragmatic language difficulties, seek a speech-language pathologist’s advice. Pragmatic language is a broad concept with many different subtypes, and the more interaction you provide, the better.
A typical example of this kind of interaction is when a speaker is discussing a new car. Another example is when a couple is watching television. The boy says to his girlfriend, “Are you watching this show?” The girl answers, “No” and grabs her remote to change the channel. While the speaker is unaware of his or her presence, the listener interprets this as a monopolization of time and attention. In this way, the speaker is essentially calling her friend fat.
The origin of the word pragmatic goes back to the Greek pragmatikos, meaning “practical” and “versed in affairs”. In ancient Greek, pragmatikos means “practical.” The word pragma comes from the root prasso (‘do’).
The concept of truth varies greatly between pragmatists. James and Dewey are commonly quoted as stating that truth is what “works.” In other words, true hypotheses are those that an inquirer will accept after conducting a thorough inquiry. On the other hand, Peirce maintained that true opinions are those that are useful. This is a broader understanding of the nature of truth, than merely a particular philosophy.
Unlike semantics, pragmatism allows us to make sense of things based on context. “I have two sons,” for example, means the speaker has two sons. The meaning of “I have two sons” would be different if the question was “do you have any daughters?”
