Pragmatics and pragmatickr Semantics
A variety of contemporary philosophical theories of pragmatics concentrate on semantics. For example, Brandom focuses on linguistic meaning (albeit from a pragmatist perspective).
Others adopt a more holistic approach to pragmatics, like relevance theory, which aims to explore how an utterance is perceived by the person listening. However, this approach tends to ignore other aspects of pragmatism, such as epistemic debates about truth.
What exactly is pragmatism?
Pragmatism offers an alternative to continental philosophy and analytic philosophy. Charles Sanders Peirce was the first to introduce the concept, and William James extended it. Later, Josiah Royce developed the philosophy. It was influential in a variety of areas of inquiry that ranged from philosophy of science to theology, but also found a place in ethics as well as 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 via their 'practical implications', or their implications for the experiences of particular situations. This leads to a distinct epistemological perspective that is a type of 'inquiry based epistemology,' and an anti Cartesian explanation of the rules that govern inquiry. The earliest pragmatists, however were largely divided on the issue of whether pragmatism can think of itself as a philosophy of science that adopts a monism about truth (following Peirce), or a broad-based alethic pluralism (James and Dewey).
A major concern for pragmatist philosophers is how to understand knowledge. Rorty is one pragmatist who is skeptical of theories of knowledge that are based on 'immediate experiences'. Others, such as Peirce or James are skeptical of the correspondence theory which asserts that the most authentic beliefs are those which accurately represent reality.
Pragmatism also focuses on the relationship between reality, beliefs, and human rationality. It examines the importance of virtues and values, and the meaning and purpose of our lives. Pragmatists also 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 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 renewed the classical pragmatism movement in the late 20th century has resulted in a myriad of new developments, such as the 'near-side' pragmatics which is concerned with resolving ambiguity and vagueness as well as the use of proper names, indexicals, demonstratives, and anaphors, and a 'far side' pragmatics that looks at the semantics of discourses.
What is the relationship between what is said and what happens?
Semantics and Pragmatics are often thought of as being at opposite ends of the continuum with semantics on the close side and pragmatics on the other side. Carston for instance, asserts that modern pragmatics has at least three principal 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 meaning of utterances. Near-side pragmatics covers questions like the resolution of ambiguity and the use of proper names indexicals, demonstratives, presupposition, and anaphoras. It is also believed to cover questions that require precise descriptions.
What is the relationship between pragmatics and semantics?
The study of pragmatics is the study and application of meaning in the language of a particular context. It is a component of linguistics which studies the ways people utilize language to convey various meanings. It is often contrasted with semantics, which studies the literal meaning of words in the context of a sentence or a larger portion of speech.
The relationship between pragmatics, semantics and their interrelationships is complicated. The primary difference is that pragmatics thinks about other aspects besides literal meanings of words, which includes the intended meaning as well as the context that a statement was made. This allows a more nuanced understanding to be formed of the meaning of a statement. Semantics also focuses on the relationship between words, whereas pragmatics is more concerned with the relationships between interlocutors (people who are engaged in an exchange) and their contextual characteristics.
In recent years the neopragmatism movement has been focusing heavily on the philosophy of metaphilosophy and language. It has largely abandoned the value theories and metaphysics of classical pragmatism. However, some neopragmatists have been developing a metaethics based on the pragmatics of classical pragmatism and experience.
Classical pragmatism was initially created by Charles Sanders Peirce and William James. Both were influential thinkers and authored a number of books. Their writings are well-read today.
While pragmatism is a viable alternative to the analytic and continental philosophical mainstream, it's not without its critics. Some philosophers, like have claimed that deconstructionism isn't a truly new philosophical approach and that pragmatism simply represents a form.
In addition to these criticisms, pragmatism itself has been questioned by scientific and technological developments. For instance, pragmatists have struggled to reconcile their views on science with the evolution of evolutionary theory, which was created by a non-pragmatist Richard Dawkins.
Despite these difficulties, pragmatism is still growing in popularity across the globe. It is a significant third option to continental and analytic philosophical traditions, and has a variety of practical applications. It is a growing field of inquiry. Many schools of thought have evolved and incorporated aspects of pragmatism in their own philosophical frameworks. If you're interested in learning more about pragmatism or using it in your everyday life, there are plenty of resources available.