Pragmatic is a philosophy that emphasizes the contextual meaning of language and communication. Pragmatism has ties to linguistics, psychology and sociology, among other disciplines. It is a more general approach to knowledge, rather than the traditional metaphysical ideas of classical philosophy. The key concepts of pragmatism are attributed to the work of William James and Charles Peirce. James and Peirce both developed a theory of knowledge based on experience and inquiry, though their approaches differed somewhat. The pragmatic maxim is a key concept of pragmatism that states “An idea is true to the extent that it makes a difference in practice.”
A pragmatist view is that knowledge comes from experience and inquiry, rather than some abstract, unchanging, universal law or principle. As a result, it is constantly changing and influenced by our experiences in the world. This is called a pragmatic epistemology. It is also a more naturalist view, recognizing that the way we perceive the world is influenced by evolutionary adaptations that allow us to make sense of our environment in ways that save cognitive resources and time.
This explains why, for example, figurative language is more meaningful than literal language. The brain of a monkey that can use cognitive shortcuts and evade predators will likely be better adapted for survival than the one that takes a long time to process contextually irrelevant details. This is why the pragmatist tradition in philosophy has a strong connection to behaviorism and functionalism in psychology and sociology.
Another central idea in pragmatism is that belief in something is determined by how helpful it is to our efforts at knowledge. This is known as the pragmatic justification of beliefs. It also explains why some people’s views are more accepted than others, since everyone is trying to survive in the most effective way possible given their individual circumstances.
The philosophy of pragmatism has been influential in areas such as psychology, sociology and linguistics, but it has suffered a decline in popularity as other philosophical movements have emerged. In recent decades, pragmatism has experienced a revival with the development of neopragmatism. This movement was started by Richard Rorty, who aimed to rectify what he saw as mainstream epistemology’s critical mistake of naively conceiving of language and thought as mirroring the world around us. It has since been taken up by a number of prominent philosophers, including Hilary Putnam and Robert Brandom.
Knowing pragmatics is important for navigating our interactions with other people. It’s what allows us to politely hedge a request, cleverly read between the lines and negotiate turn-taking norms in conversation. It is also an integral part of cross-cultural communication. For instance, the directness valued in Western culture can be seen as abrasive in many Asian cultures. A deep understanding of pragmatic rules specific to each cultural context is crucial to fostering global understanding and cooperation. This is why pragmatics is often used in the study of intercultural communication.
