Pragmatic is a philosophy of language and communication that takes into account the context and purpose of utterances, rather than just their semantics. It also examines the practical consequences of actions and beliefs. The word pragmatic comes from the Greek word progma, meaning “to do or to act”. Pragmatists believe that a concept’s truth and meaning is determined through its practical effects on human beings.

The word pragmatic can be used to describe a person’s approach to their life. A pragmatic person is a practical and results oriented individual that is able to compromise and accept they cannot have everything they want. They are not easily swayed by emotional appeals and they know that in order to achieve their goals they will need to put up with some inconvenience or pain along the way.

Although pragmatism is widely viewed as an American philosophical school, its roots are actually European. It was first popularized by the American philosopher William James who used the term in a series of lectures in 1898. James scrupulously swore that the philosophy behind his use of the term was founded by his colleague Charles Sanders Peirce.

The philosophical movement that is called pragmatism has since grown to include an extensive literature of books and articles written by many different authors. It is a broad and diverse field that draws from other disciplines, including philosophy, psychology, sociology, history and law. It is believed that pragmatism’s influence is growing and that its intellectual centre of gravity is shifting from North America to Europe and China.

Classic pragmatists – Peirce, James and Dewey – framed a pragmatic philosophy around their common experiences with the nature of reality and knowledge. They formulated a methodology and a set of principles that they believed were the keys to truth and understanding.

Pragmatists have made major contributions in a wide range of areas. The most important of these are in the philosophy of science, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, political philosophy and social theory.

The philosophy of pragmatism has a few flaws, most obvious in its application to the domain of morality. While it is easy to see how a pragmatic approach to ethics and morality can become a form of relativism, what is not so clear is how a pragmatist view of morals and ethics can fall apart completely in the face of actual experience. For example, a pragmatic approach to war based on the notion that the most important thing is doing what works will certainly allow power to achieve its goals in a military conflict. However, a pragmatic approach to war will not necessarily prevent the suffering and death of civilians. This is because the aims and motives of those in power may be entirely different to those of the people they are trying to save. This is a problem that is not unique to pragmatism, and is a general problem in moral and ethical theory. However, it is a problem that can be addressed by incorporating a deeper and more complex level of reflection into the pragmatist approach to ethics and morality.