Pragmatic is a philosophy of language, communication and understanding that emphasizes the relevance of real-world context. Pragmatism examines what people say, how they say it and what they actually mean by their words.
A pragmatic person is one who is concerned with things as they are and their results. They are not interested in what might be or could have been.
The pragmatists are often critical of metaphysical doctrines that devalue change and action. They are also concerned with preserving the integrity of human experience and ensuring that we are fully capable of making the most of it.
Classic pragmatists Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914), William James (1842-1910) and Josiah Royce (1855-1916) forged a third way between analytic and continental philosophy. Their ideas were strengthened and broadened by the scientific revolution of evolutionary theory, of which they were keen observers and sometime participants.
As the twentieth century drew to a close, though, the appeal of pragmatism began to wane. The arrival of self-consciously rigorous analytic philosophy made it hard for many aspiring philosophers to justify embracing its maxims. Even so, the pragmatists continued to publish and to have a presence in the philosophical landscape.
In recent years, the revival of interest in pragmatism has come as a result of a number of factors. These include new research in the cognitive sciences that demonstrates the ways in which pragmatics interacts with both language and non-linguistic cognition in complex and multifaceted ways. The growing awareness that pragmatics is not just about communicating but also interpreting the meaning of what is said, the manner in which it is said and the particular circumstances in which an utterance is heard or read has drawn attention to the need for a more theoretically motivated approach to linguistic pragmatics.
This journal seeks to promote the advancement of pragmatics as a distinct and coherent philosophical tradition with its own distinctive methods and perspectives. It publishes papers, in a wide range of formats, that contribute to the development of this pragmatic philosophical perspective. Papers in the journal include full-length articles, book reviews and reply and rejoinder essays. Manuscripts containing a single book review may be submitted only once. Authors submitting a book review must wait for a decision on their original manuscript (Accept or Reject) before submitting another book review.
In addition, the journal publishes invited reviews of significant monographs in a series that is dedicated to a specific theme. It also publishes short, free-form discussion notes and replies, as well as reviews of important books in a general area of philosophical inquiry. Papers that explore the connections between pragmatism and other philosophical traditions are especially welcome. The scope of the journal is international in its reach. Manuscripts should be written in English and should follow the submission guidelines for the journal. The editors encourage submissions from all areas of philosophy, both continental and analytic. All papers are peer-reviewed.
