Pragmatic is an adjective describing people who can deal with situations sensibly and realistically, basing their decisions on practical considerations. It can also be used as a philosophical approach that prioritizes the use of logic and rationality rather than adherence to a particular ideology or set of rules.
Pragmatism has influenced a variety of fields, including public administration, business, leadership studies, political science and research methodology. The pragmatist philosophy emphasizes the connection between thought and action, and its tenets are often applied to everyday interactions.
The term pragmatic is closely related to the philosopher William James’ idea of truth as “that which works.” This view is a form of pragmatism that focuses on how a belief or act actually affects a person. In other words, it’s not enough to know the right answer; you must also be able to put that knowledge into practice.
Philosophical pragmatists believe that we have a unique ability to bridge the gap between an utterance and its meaning. This is called pragmatist interpretation, and it involves inferring the speaker’s intention by looking at the context and tone of voice in which the utterance was delivered. For example, if you say to your boss, “What a wonderful day!” you may be expressing a genuine appreciation for the weather or ironically if it’s cloudy and cold. In either case, you’re being pragmatic because the expression works for you at this time.
If a solution is practical, it means that it’s likely to work. A practical solution will usually have a higher chance of being accepted and implemented than one that is idealistic, which is more theoretical. In the world of politics, a practical politician is more likely to take into account the needs of the whole country than an idealistic one that’s focused solely on what they think should happen.
The word pragmatic is also an adjective that describes someone who is logical and sensible in their dealings with others. The opposite of a pragmatic person is dogmatic, which refers to someone who adheres to specific morals and thinking.
In linguistics, pragmatics is the branch of semantics that deals with the way we interpret and communicate meaning. It includes the theories of HP Grice and John Searle that emphasize the need for inference to fill in the gaps between what is literally said and what a speaker intends.
Pragmatics is often viewed as the transitional period between classical pragmatics and what is now known as near-side pragmatics. Unlike classical pragmatics, which emphasized perception and rule-following, near-side pragmatics is more concerned with the role of inference in determining what is meant by an utterance. It is this understanding of how language works that allows us to politely hedge a request, cleverly read between the lines or negotiate turn-taking norms in conversation. It’s also the understanding that ambiguity is a natural part of language that lets us understand and appreciate our own pragmatic abilities.
