pragmaticism

1 9.9

A way of thinking created by Charles Peirce that studies ideas by their practical effects and logic

noun
/præɡˈmætɪkɪzəm/

Formal

: pragmaticismo

In the philosophy course, we studied pragmaticism and its emphasis on logical analysis and meaning.

Examples

Many discussions on epistemology reference pragmaticism as a way to ground theories in practical consequences.
Pragmaticism is for those who are less intellectually pure.

Blog text (32)
Pragmaticism emphasizes the instrumental capacity of the work of art.

Academic text (1992)
So Purse famously renamed his doctrine pragmaticism, saying that it's too ugly of a word for anyone else to steal.
(James, as Peirce saw it, took practical effect as a criterion of truth rather than as a razor for clarifying meaning, and Peirce would soon rename his own view "pragmaticism," the better to distinguish it from that of James.)

Academic text (1994)
Charles Peirce developed pragmaticism to provide a clearer understanding of how concepts function in practice.

Synonyms

pragmatism

vspragmaticism

15 5.6

A practical way of solving problems that focuses on what works

is a precise philosophical reformulation stressing logical analysis of concepts

Surface Forms

pragmaticism singular

pragmaticisms plural

Morphology

pragmaticism = pragmatic (semi-transparent) = pragmatic + ism

Formed regularly from 'pragmatic' + '-ism', but it is a specialized coinage by C. S. Peirce with a narrower, technical philosophical sense distinct from general 'pragmatic' or 'pragmatism'.

Etymology

Pragmaticism comes from the Greek pragma, meaning 'deed' or 'thing', and is like the English words practical and pragmatic. Charles Peirce invented pragmaticism as a more exact kind of pragmatism that looks at the real effects or results of ideas, so the origin shows why the theory cares about practical results.