Pragmatics and Semantics
A lot of contemporary philosophical theories focus on semantics. Brandom, for example is focused on the significance of words (albeit from a pragmatic perspective).
Others take an approach that is more holistic to pragmatics, such as relevance theory, that aims to understand how an expression is perceived by the person listening. This method tends to overlook other aspects of pragmatics for instance, epistemic discussions about truth.
What is pragmatism?
Pragmatism is a philosophical approach that offers a viable alternative to continental philosophy 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 ranged from philosophy of science to theology and also found a place in the philosophy of ethics and politics, philosophy of language, aesthetics, and social theory. Highly recommended Web-site continues to grow.
The underlying principle of classical pragmatism is the pragmatic maxim, a rule for defining the significance of hypotheses by tracing their 'practical consequences that they have for the experience of specific circumstances. This gives rise to a distinctive epistemological outlook that is a form of 'inquiry-based epistemology' as well as an anti-Cartesian interpretation of the norms that govern inquiry. The early pragmatists largely split over the question of whether pragmatism can think of itself as a philosophical system that focuses on a monism of truth (following Peirce), or a broad-based alethic pluralism (James and Dewey).
Understanding knowledge is a major concern for pragmatists. Certain pragmatists like Rorty, are inclined to be skeptical of any notion of knowledge based on'instantaneous' experiences. Others, like Peirce and James are skeptical of the theory of correspondence as a source of truth that holds that the most authentic beliefs are those that reflect reality 'correctly'.
Other issues in pragmatism include the relationship between reality and beliefs and the nature of human rationality, the significance of virtues and values and the meaning of life. Pragmatists also have developed a variety of methods and ideas, including those in semiotics and philosophy of language. They have also explored areas such as philosophy of religion, philosophy, ethics, science and theology. Some, like Peirce or Royce, are epistemological relativism. However, others argue that this concept is a mistake. A renewed the classical pragmatism movement in the latter half of the 20th century has resulted in a number of new developments, such as the 'near-side' pragmatics which is concerned with resolution of unclearness and ambiguity, the reference of proper names, indexicals and demonstratives, and anaphors, and a 'far-side pragmatics that examines the semantics of discourses.
What is the relationship between what is said and what happens?
Semantics and Pragmatics can be viewed as being at opposite ends of the continuum. On the side that is near, semantics are viewed and pragmatics is on the far side. Carston, for instance, asserts that modern pragmatics has at least three major lines: those who see it as a philosophy in the vein of Grice, those who focus its interaction with grammar and those who are concerned with the meaning of utterances. Near-side pragmatics includes questions like the resolution of unclearness and the use of proper names, indexicals, demonstratives, anaphoras, and presupposition. It is also believed to cover some issues that involve definite descriptions.
What is the relation between semantics and pragmatism?
Pragmatics is the study of meaning within the context of language. It is a component of linguistics which studies the way that people employ language to convey various meanings. It is often compared with semantics, which studies the literal meaning of words within sentences or in larger chunks of discourse.
The relationship between pragmatics, semantics and their interrelationships is complicated. The major distinction is that pragmatics takes into account other aspects besides literal meanings of words, including the intended meaning and the context in which a statement was made. This allows for a more nuanced understanding of the meaning behind an expression. Semantics also concentrates on the relationship between words, whereas pragmatics is more focused on the relationships between the interlocutors as well as their context.
In recent years, neopragmatism has focused heavily on the philosophy of language and metaphilosophy. It has largely abandoned the value theories and metaphysics of classical pragmatism. Neopragmatists are currently working on an ethics of metaphysics based on ideas of classical pragmatism about pragmatics and experiences.
Classical pragmatism was initially 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 philosophical traditions of continental and analytic, it is not without its critics. For instance some philosophers have argued that pragmatism is simply a form of deconstructionism and is not truly an innovative philosophical method.
In addition to these critics pragmatism was challenged by scientific and technical developments. For instance, pragmatists have had a difficult time reconciling their views on science with the evolution theory which was conceived by Richard Dawkins, a non-pragmatist.
Despite these challenges, the pragmatic method continues to gain popularity around the world. It is a third alternative to continental and analytic philosophy traditions, and it has a variety of practical application. It is a rapidly growing field of inquiry. Many schools of thought have evolved and incorporated aspects of pragmatism in their own philosophy. Whether you are interested in learning more about pragmatism or incorporating it in your everyday life, there are a variety of sources available.