Pragmatics and Semantics
A lot of contemporary philosophical theories are based on semantics. Brandom, for example, focuses on the significance of words (albeit from a pragmatic viewpoint).
Others take an approach that is more holistic to pragmatics, like relevance theory, which aims to determine how an utterance is perceived by the person listening. However, this method tends to ignore other aspects of pragmatism like epistemic debates about truth.
What is the definition of pragmatism?
Pragmatism provides a different perspective to continental philosophy and analytic philosophy. Charles Sanders Peirce conceived it and William James extended it. Later, Josiah Royce developed the philosophy. It had a profound influence on the areas of inquiry ranging from theology and philosophy to philosophy of science, but also ethics as well as philosophy of politics and language. The pragmatist tradition continues to develop.
The fundamental premise of classical pragmatism is the pragmatic maxim, which is a guideline for clarifying the meaning of hypotheses through exploring their 'practical implications' - their implications for specific situations. This gives rise to an epistemological perspective that is a type of 'inquiry-based epistemology', and an anti-Cartesian interpretation of the rules that govern inquiry. The earliest pragmatists, however largely split over the question of whether pragmatism should conceive of itself as a philosophy of science that adopts a monism about truth (following Peirce), or a broad-based alethic pluralism (James and Dewey).
Understanding knowledge is the main concern for pragmatists. Certain pragmatists, like Rorty are likely to be skeptical of any notion of knowledge that is based on a foundation of 'immediate experiences. Others, such as Peirce or James, are skeptical of the correspondence theory which holds that true beliefs are those which accurately represent reality.
Other pragmatism-related issues include the relationship between beliefs and reality, the nature of human rationality, the importance of values and virtues, and the significance of life. Pragmatists have also developed a range of theories and methods including those in semiotics and philosophy of language. They also have explored topics like philosophy of religion, philosophy, science, pragmatickr ethics and theology. Some, such as Peirce and Royce, are epistemological relativists, whereas others argue that such relativism is seriously misguided. 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 the resolution of confusion 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 relation between what you say and what you do?
Semantics and Pragmatics are often seen as being at opposite ends of the continuum with semantics on the near side and pragmatics on the far side. Carston for instance claims that modern pragmatics follows at least three main lines: those who see it as a philosophy in the vein of Grice as well as those who are focused on its interaction with grammar and those who are concerned about the interpretation of utterances. Near-side pragmatics covers issues such as the resolution of ambiguity, the use of proper names indexicals, demonstratives anaphoras, and presupposition. It is also thought to cover some issues involving definite descriptions.
What is the connection between pragmatism and semantics?
The study of pragmatics is the study and application of meanings in language within a context. It is a component of linguistics which studies the way that people utilize language to convey various meanings. It is often compared to semantics, which studies the literal meaning of words in the context of a sentence or a larger portion of speech.
The relationship between semantics and pragmatism is complex. The most important distinction is that pragmatics considers other factors than the literal meaning of words, like the intended meaning and the context in which an utterance was made. This allows for a more nuanced understanding of the meaning behind an utterance. Semantics also focuses on the relationship between words while pragmatics concentrates more on the relationship between interlocutors as well as their context.
In recent decades, neopragmatism has focused heavily on the philosophy of metaphilosophy and language. This has largely left behind the metaphysics of classical pragmatism and value theory. However, some neopragmatists are working to develop a metaethics that draws on the ideas of pragmatics from classical pragmatism and experiences.
Classical pragmatism was first developed by Charles Sanders Peirce and William James. Both were influential thinkers who authored a number of books. Their work is still highly thought of in the present.
Although pragmatism can be considered an alternative to the dominant philosophical tradition of continental and analytic philosophy but it's not without its critics. Some philosophers, like, have said that deconstructionism isn't a truly new philosophical approach and that pragmatism simply represents an expression.
In addition to these criticisms, pragmatism itself has been challenged by technological and scientific advancements. For instance, pragmatists have struggled to reconcile their beliefs on science and the the theory of evolution which was conceived by Richard Dawkins, a non-pragmatist.
Despite these challenges, pragmatic approach continues to grow in global popularity. It is a significant third option in comparison to the continental and analytic philosophical traditions, and has a variety of practical applications. It is a growing field of study. Many schools of thought have evolved and incorporated elements of pragmatism in their own philosophy. If you are looking to learn more about pragmatism or incorporating it in your day-to-day life, there are plenty of sources available.