Pragmatic is the philosophical stance that emphasizes the connection between thought and action. Its proponents believe that pragmatism is a form of philosophical realism, in which ideas are judged not only by their outcomes but also by the way they connect with other ideas and actions. For this reason, pragmatism is often seen as an antidote to relativism.
The pragmatic stance has many critics. Some argue that pragmatism is little more than a thin veneer of relativistic thinking. Others point to the fact that pragmatism fails when applied to ethical and moral questions. These criticisms have led some to reject pragmatism as a valid philosophy.
During the nineteenth century, several American philosophers developed a philosophic position known as pragmatism. Its key ideas emerged in discussions among members of a so-called Metaphysical Club at Harvard University in the 1870s. The club included proto-positivist Chauncey Wright, future Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, and two then-fledgling philosophers who went on to become the first self-conscious pragmatists—Charles Sanders Peirce and William James.
A central idea of pragmatism is that truth is determined by the way ideas connect with each other and with reality. For example, if an idea is linked to a reality that produces good results, it will have validity; if it produces bad results, it will have no value. This idea has been compared to the concept of scientific method, in which scientists evaluate theories not by their theoretical elegance or logical coherence but by how well they work in the real world.
One important aspect of pragmatism is its commitment to a philosophy that is open to new ideas and experiences. Its proponents believe that if we are not willing to accept the possibility that our beliefs may be wrong, we will never learn. The pragmatists have also argued that we should not seek to impose truths on the real world but instead allow reality to shape our beliefs and assumptions.
In its early forms, pragmatism was an eclectic philosophy that drew from a variety of influences. It drew on the idea of science as a practical endeavor, the philosophy of John Dewey, and the writings of Charles Sanders Peirce and William James. Its influence has spread to a wide range of applied fields, including public administration, business management, and organizational behavior.
The pragmatic stance is often associated with the theory of meaning, which analyzes how language conveys meaning in context. Pragmatics is also the study of non-literal linguistic meanings and how physical or social contexts determine their use. It is a subfield of the larger field of semantics, syntax, and semiotics. Pragmatics is distinguished from the other three areas by its emphasis on analyzing how language actually works. The field of pragmatics is influenced by the philosophy of language, logic, and the philosophy of mathematics. In the twentieth century, it was overshadowed by analytic philosophy, which emphasized the importance of empirical evidence. Despite this, some philosophers continue to practice pragmatic philosophy today.
