Pragmatics and Semantics
A variety of contemporary philosophical theories of pragmatics concentrate on semantics. Brandom, for example is a focus on the meaning of words (albeit from a pragmatic perspective).
Others take a more comprehensive view of pragmatics, like relevance theory, which aims to explore the understanding processes of an utterance by a hearer. However, this method tends to overlook other aspects of pragmatism, such as epistemic debates about truth.
What exactly is pragmatism?
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 friend and colleague William James, and later developed by Josiah Royce. It was influential in areas of inquiry that span from philosophy of science to theology however, it also found its place in the philosophy of ethics, politics, aesthetics, philosophy of language and social theory. The pragmatist traditions continues to develop.
The pragmatic maxim is at the center of classical pragmatics. It is a principle that clarifies the meaning of hypotheses by examining their 'practical implications', or their implications for the experience of particular situations. This gives rise to an epistemological perspective that is a type of 'inquiry-based epistemology' as well as an anti-Cartesian explication of the rules that govern inquiry. The early pragmatists were largely divided on the issue of whether pragmatism can think of itself as a philosophy of science that focuses on a monism of truth (following Peirce), or a broad-based alethic pluralism (James and Dewey).
A central issue for pragmatist philosophers is understanding knowledge. Rorty is a pragmatist who is skeptical of any notions of knowledge built on "immediate experiences". Others, such as Peirce and James are skeptical of the theory of correspondence as a source of truth which holds that true beliefs are those that represent reality 'correctly'.
Pragmatism also addresses the relationship between beliefs, reality and human rationality. It examines the importance of virtues and values, as well as the meaning and purpose of our lives. Pragmatists also have developed a variety of theories and methods, including those in semiotics and philosophy of language. They also have explored topics like philosophy of religion, philosophy and science, ethics and theology. Some, like Peirce and Royce are epistemological relativists. However, others contend that this kind of relativism is completely wrong. A resurgence of the classical pragmatism movement in the late 20th century has resulted in a myriad of new developments, including a 'near-side' pragmatism that is concerned with resolution of ambiguity and vagueness and the use of proper names, indexicals and demonstratives and anaphors as well as a 'far-side' pragmatics that looks at the semantics of discourses.
What is the connection between what is said and what is done?
Semantics and Pragmatics are often viewed as being on opposite ends of a continuum with semantics on the close side and pragmatics on the other. Carston, for example claims that there are at least three general lines of contemporary pragmatics: those who view it as a philosophy based on the lines of Grice or others who focus on its interaction with grammar and those who are concerned with utterance interpretation. Near-side pragmatics includes issues such as the resolution of ambiguity and the use of proper names indexicals, demonstratives anaphoras and presupposition. It is also believed to encompass some issues involving explicit descriptions.
What is the relationship between pragmatism and semantics?
Pragmatics is the study of meaning in language placed within context. It is an aspect of linguistics that examines how people employ words to convey various meanings. It is often contrasted with semantics, which studies the literal meaning of words in a sentence or larger chunk of speech.
The relationship between pragmatics, semantics and their interrelationship is complicated. The primary difference is that pragmatics considers other factors than the literal meaning of words, such as the intended meaning and context in which an utterance was said. This allows for a more nuanced understanding of the meaning of an expression. Semantics also focuses on the relationship between words while pragmatics is more focused on the connections between interlocutors and their context features.
In recent years the neopragmatism movement been heavily focused on metaphilosophy as well as the philosophy of language. As such, pragmatickr it has mostly departed from classical pragmatism's metaphysics and value theory. However, a few neopragmatists are developing an ethics that draws from the pragmatics of classical pragmatism and experience.
Classical pragmatism was first created by Charles Sanders Peirce and William James. Both were influential thinkers who wrote a variety of books. Their works are still widely regarded today.
Although pragmatism can be considered an alternative to the mainstream analytic and continental philosophical traditions, it is not without its critics. For example some philosophers have argued that pragmatism is simply a form of deconstructionism and is not really an entirely new philosophical concept.
In addition to these critics, the pragmatism of the past was challenged by technological and scientific developments. For instance, the pragmatists have struggled with reconciling their views on science and the development of the theory of evolution which was conceived by Richard Dawkins, a non-pragmatist.
Despite these difficulties, pragmatic approach continues to grow in its popularity throughout the world. It is a third alternative to continental and analytic philosophy traditions, and it has a variety of practical applications. It is a growing field of study. Many schools of thought have emerged and incorporated aspects of pragmatism in their own philosophy. There are numerous resources available to help you understand more about pragmatism, and how to use it in your daily life.