Pragmatic Genuine Philosophy
Pragmatism is a philosophy that emphasizes experience and context. It might not have a clear set of foundational principles or a coherent ethical framework. This could lead to an absence of idealistic ambitions and a shift in direction.
Contrary to deflationary theories of truth, pragmatic theories of truth do not reject the notion that statements correlate to the state of affairs. They simply clarify the roles that truth plays in our daily endeavors.
Definition
The word pragmatic is used to refer to people or things that are practical, logical and sensible. It is often used to contrast with idealistic which is an idea or person that is based upon ideals or high principles. When making a decision, the sensible person takes into consideration the real world and the current circumstances. They are focused on what is feasible rather than trying to achieve the ideal course of action.
Pragmatism is a new philosophical movement that focuses on the importance of practical implications in the determination of truth, meaning or value. It is a third option to the dominant continental and analytic philosophical traditions. It was established by Charles Sanders Peirce and William James with Josiah Royce as its founders, pragmatism evolved into two distinct streams that tended towards relativism and the second toward the idea of realism.
The nature of truth is a central issue in the philosophy of pragmatism. While many pragmatists agree that truth is an important concept, they are not sure what it means and how it operates in the real world. One method that is influenced by Peirce and James, concentrates on the ways in which people deal with issues and make assertions. It also prioritizes the speech-act and justification projects of language-users in determining if something is true. Another method that is influenced by Rorty and his followers, concentrates on the relatively mundane functions of truth--the way it serves to generalize, recommend, and caution--and is less concerned with the full-blown theory of truth.
The first flaw with this neo-pragmatic approach to truth is that it stray with relativism since the notion of "truth" has such a long and long-standing history that it appears unlikely that it can be reduced to the common uses to which pragmatists assign it. The second problem is that pragmatism appears to be a way of thinking that rejects the existence of truth, at a minimum in its substantial metaphysical form. This is evident in the fact that pragmatists, such as Brandom (who has a debt to Peirce and James) are largely in silence on metaphysical questions and Dewey's lengthy writings contain only one mention of the question of truth.
Purpose
Pragmatism is a philosophy that aims to provide an alternative to the continental and analytic traditions of philosophy. The first generation was started by Charles Sanders Peirce and William James along with their Harvard colleague Josiah Royce (1855-1916). These pragmatists from the classical period focused on the theory of inquiry, meaning and the nature of truth. Their influence spread to a number influential American thinkers, such as John Dewey (1860-1952), who applied their ideas to education as well as social improvement in different dimensions. Jane Addams (1860-1935), who founded social work, also benefited from this influence.
In recent times, a new generation has given pragmatism a new debate platform. A lot of these neopragmatists are not classical pragmatists but they are part of the same tradition. Robert Brandom is their main persona. He focuses his research on semantics and the philosophy of language, but draws from the philosophy of Peirce, James, and others.
The neopragmatists have a different understanding of what it takes for an idea to be true. The classical pragmatists focused on a concept called 'truth-functionality,' which states that an idea is genuinely true if it is useful in practice. Neo-pragmatists concentrate on the notion of 'ideal justified assertibility', which declares that an idea is truly true if it can be justified to a particular audience in a certain way.
This viewpoint is not without its challenges. A common criticism is that it could be used to justify any number of ridiculous and absurd ideas. An example of this is the gremlin idea it is a useful concept, and it is effective in the real world, but it is completely unsubstantiated and likely to be untrue. This isn't a huge issue, but it does highlight one of the major weaknesses of pragmatism: it can be used as a justification for almost everything.
Significance
When making a decision, it is important to be pragmatic by taking into account the actual world and its surroundings. It could be a reference to the philosophical position that emphasizes practical considerations in the determining of truth, meaning, or value. The term"pragmatism" first utilized to describe this perspective about a century ago, when William James (1842-1910) pressed into service in a speech at the University of California (Berkeley). James was adamant that the term was coined by his friend and mentor Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914), but the pragmatist outlook soon gained a reputation all its own.
The pragmatists rejected analytic philosophy's sharp dichotomies like mind and body, thoughts and experience and analytic and synthesthetic. They also rebuffed the idea of truth as something that is fixed or objective, instead describing it as a constantly evolving, socially-determined concept.
Classical pragmatics primarily focused on the theory of inquiry, meaning and the nature of truth, however James put these concepts to work in examining truth in religion. A subsequent generation applied the pragmatist approach to education, politics, and other aspects of social development under the great influence of John Dewey (1859-1952).
In recent years, www.pragmatickr.com the Neopragmatists have sought to place pragmatism within a wider Western philosophical context. They have identified the affinities between Peirce’s ideas and those of Kant and other idealists of the 19th century and the new theory of evolution. They have also sought to understand the role of truth in an original a posteriori epistemology, and to develop a pragmatic metaphilosophy that includes an understanding of meaning, language and the nature of knowledge.
However the pragmatism that it has developed continues to evolve and the a posteriori method that it has developed is distinct from the traditional approaches. The pragmatic theory has been criticised for a long time however, in recent years it has received more attention. Some of them include the notion that pragmatism is ineffective when applied to moral questions, and that its assertion of "what works" is nothing more than relativism with an unpolished appearance.
Methods
Peirce's epistemological approach included a pragmatic elucidation. He believed it was a way to undermine false metaphysical concepts, such as the Catholic understanding transubstantiation and Cartesian certainty seeking strategies in epistemology.
The Pragmatic Maxim, according to many modern pragmatists is the most accurate thing you can hope for from a theory about truth. They generally avoid deflationist theories of truth which require verification before they are valid. They advocate a different approach they call "pragmatic explanation". This involves explaining the way an idea is utilized in real life and identifying the requirements that must be met to be able to recognize it as valid.
It is important to remember that this approach could be viewed as a type of relativism, and indeed is often criticized for doing so. But it is less extreme than alternatives to deflationism, and is thus a useful way to get around some of the issues with relativist theories of truth.
As a result, many philosophical ideas that are liberatory, like those that are associated with eco-feminism, feminism, Native American philosophy and Latin American philosophy - currently look to the pragmatist tradition as direction. Quine is one example. He is an analytical philosopher who has taken on the philosophy of pragmatism in a manner that Dewey could not.
While pragmatism is a rich tradition, it is crucial to recognize that there are important flaws in the philosophy. Particularly, the pragmatism does not provide an objective test of truth, and it fails when applied to moral issues.
A few of the most influential pragmatists, such as Quine and Wilfrid Sellars, also criticised the philosophy. However it has been brought back from obscurity by a wide variety of philosophers, including Richard Rorty, Cornel West and Robert Brandom. These philosophers, while not being classical pragmatists themselves are influenced by the philosophy and work of Peirce James and Wittgenstein. Their writings are worth reading for those who are interested in this philosophical movement.