Pragmatism

Pragmatism is a way of thinking that sees language and ideas as tools to help us predict outcomes, solve problems, and take action, instead of simply describing or reflecting reality. Pragmatists believe that many big questions, like what knowledge, language, meaning, belief, and science are, should be understood based on their practical use and success.

Pragmatism started in the United States in the 1870s, with key figures like Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey.^[1] In 1878, Peirce explained it with his "pragmatic maxim," which says that to understand an idea, we should consider what practical effects it could have. This approach to ideas and actions is the core of pragmatism.^[2]

The term "pragmatic" comes from a Greek word meaning "action" or "deed." Peirce is credited with developing the idea of pragmatism,^[3] and James was the first to use the term in print in 1898. Other early contributors, like Chauncey Wright and Nicholas St. John Green, helped shape the movement.

Peirce believed that inquiry is only real when there is genuine doubt, and that understanding an idea means knowing the practical consequences of the object related to that idea. His focus was on how ideas could be tested and verified, which set pragmatism apart from other ways of thinking at the time.

In the early 20th century, Peirce wanted to make his own version of pragmatism clear, calling it "pragmaticism" to show it was different from others’ ideas. While he agreed with other pragmatists on some points, like rejecting the idea that everything is predetermined, he also had key differences, particularly about truth and infinity.

Pragmatism became popular again in the 1960s when philosophers like Quine and Sellars used it to challenge earlier ideas in philosophy. Later, thinkers like Richard Rorty continued to develop it. Today, there are different types of pragmatism, with some sticking closely to the ideas of Peirce, James, and Dewey, and others adapting it in new ways.

1. ↑ Pragmatism entry in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
2. ↑ Peirce, C.S. (1878), "How to Make Our Ideas Clear", Popular Science Monthly, v. 12, 286–302. Reprinted often, including Collected Papers v. 5, paragraphs 388–410 and Essential Peirce v. 1, 124–141. See end of §II for the pragmatic maxim. See third and fourth paragraphs in §IV for the discoverability of truth and the real by sufficient investigation.
3. ↑ Susan Haack; Robert Edwin Lane (11 April 2006). Pragmatism, old & new: selected writings. Prometheus Books. pp. 18–67. ISBN 978-1-59102-359-3.