A lot of contemporary philosophical theories are based on semantics. For example, Brandom focuses on linguistic meaning (albeit from a pragmatic viewpoint).
Others adopt a more holistic approach to pragmatics, like relevance theory, which aims to understand how an expression is understood by the hearer. However, this approach tends to overlook other aspects of pragmatism, like epistemic debates about truth.What is pragmatism, exactly?
Pragmatism is a philosophical approach that provides a different perspective to continental and analytic philosophy. It was developed by Charles Sanders Peirce and expanded by his colleague and friend William James, and later developed by Josiah Royce. It had a significant impact on areas of inquiry that span from theology to philosophy of science, but also found a place in the philosophy of ethics and politics, philosophy of language, aesthetics and social theory. The pragmatist tradition continues grow.
The pragmatic principle is at the heart of classical pragmatism. It is a principle that clarifies the meaning of hypotheses via their 'practical implications' or their implications for the experience of particular situations. This gives rise to an epistemological view that is a form of 'inquiry-based epistemology', and an anti-Cartesian explanation of the norms that govern inquiry. The early pragmatists had a split on whether pragmatism was a science-based philosophy that adopted a monism regarding truth (following Peirce) or a broad alethic pluralitism (James & Dewey).
How to understand knowledge is the main concern for the pragmatists. Rorty is one pragmatist who is skeptical of any notions of knowledge based on 'immediate experiences'. Others, such as Peirce and James are skeptical of the theory of correspondence that claims to be true which holds that true beliefs are those that reflect reality in a 'correct' way.
Other pragmatism-related issues include the relationship between beliefs and reality as well as the nature of human rationality, the importance of values and virtues, and the meaning of life. Pragmatists have also developed a range of theories and methods, including those in semiotics and the philosophy of language. They have also explored areas such as philosophy of religion, philosophy and ethics, science and theology. Some, pragmatickr like Peirce or Royce are epistemological relativism, whereas others claim that this relativism is not true. The latter half of the 20th century saw an increase in interest in classical pragmatics. This led to a myriad of new developments. They include a "near-side" pragmatics which is focused on the resolution of ambiguity, indexicals, demonstratives, and anaphors. There is also the "far-side" pragmatics that analyzes the semantics in discourses.
What is the connection between what is said and what happens?
Semantics and Pragmatics can be viewed as being on opposite sides of the continuum. On the side that is near, semantics are viewed and pragmatics is situated on the other side. Carston for instance, claims that modern pragmatics follows at least three main lines: those who see it as an approach to philosophy that is reminiscent of Grice and those who concentrate on its interaction with grammar, and those who are concerned with the interpretation of utterances. Near-side pragmatics includes issues such as the resolution of confusion and the use of proper names indexicals, demonstratives anaphoras and presupposition. It is also believed to encompass questions that require precise descriptions.
What is the relation between pragmatics and semantics?
The study of pragmatics is the study and application of meanings in a language context. It is a part of linguistics that studies the ways people use language to convey different meanings. It is often compared with semantics, which studies the literal meaning of words within a sentence or broader chunk of discourse.
The relationship between pragmatism, semantics and their interrelationship is complex. The major difference is that pragmatics thinks about other aspects besides literal meanings of words, such as the intended meaning as well as the context in which a statement was made. This gives a more naive understanding of the meaning behind an utterance. Semantics also focuses on the relationship between words while pragmatics is more focused on the connections between interlocutors and their contextual features.
In recent decades, neopragmatism has focused heavily on the philosophy of metaphilosophy and language. It has largely abandoned the value theories and metaphysics of classical pragmatism. However, some neopragmatists are working to develop an ethics that draws from the ideas of pragmatics from classical pragmatism and experience.
Charles Sanders Peirce, William James and others were among the first to create classical pragmatism. Both were influential thinkers and published a number of books. Their works are still widely regarded in the present.
While pragmatism is a viable alternative to the analytic and continental philosophical mainstream, it is not without criticism. For instance some philosophers have argued that pragmatism is just an extension of deconstructionism and is not really an innovative philosophical method.
In addition to these criticisms, pragmatism has been questioned by technological and scientific advances. For instance, pragmatists have struggled to reconcile their views on science with the evolution of evolutionary theory, which was developed by a non-pragmatist, Richard Dawkins.
Despite these challenges, pragmatism continues to grow in popularity across the globe. It is an important third option to the analytic and continental philosophical traditions and has many practical applications. It is a rapidly growing field of inquiry and has many schools of thought developing and incorporating aspects of pragmatism into their own philosophical framework. If you're looking to learn more about pragmatism or incorporating it in your everyday life, there are many sources available.
