Pragmatic is the study of language use and context. It is distinct from semantics, which focuses on the meaning of words and sentences. Instead, pragmatics considers all the social cues that accompany a given utterance, such as its social environment and its meaning to listeners.
Pragmatists believe that knowledge is based on a person’s unique experiences, but it can also be derived from other sources such as social interactions and cultural norms. This view of knowledge allows people to have a more flexible perception of truths, which can lead to a more cohesive worldview. It can also be a useful approach when trying to deal with the ever-changing nature of our lives.
While pragmatism can seem like a practical way to live life, it can be difficult for many to embrace. It can be a challenge to get used to allowing for gray areas that aren’t defined by two extremes, especially if a person has been raised in a culture where there are only black and white beliefs. It may also be hard for some to accept that their current beliefs could change in the future, particularly if they have been fixed for a long time by tradition and common sense.
The philosophy of pragmatism has had some significant effects on the field of social work, which uses practical knowledge to create a more just and equitable society for all people. Several scholars have drawn on philosophical analysis of pragmatism in their research, and the scholarly literature has debated the importance of this paradigm for social work.
One of the main debates surrounding pragmatism involves the distinction between near-side and far-side pragmatics. Near-side pragmatics includes, but is not limited to, resolution of ambiguity and vagueness, reference of proper names, indexicals and demonstratives, and anaphors. Far-side pragmatics is more concerned with what is conveyed beyond saying, including intentions and acts that are not encapsulated by a statement, such as conversational implicature.
Another major issue in pragmatism concerns the nature of human understanding and cognition. This can be a difficult topic to understand, but it has a profound impact on how we view pragmatics in our day-to-day activities. For example, researchers often strip away task demands in their experiments on human language comprehension, despite the fact that these tasks are an essential component of pragmatics. This is a critical factor that should be considered when creating theories of pragmatics.
Finally, a pragmatist is interested in an ethic-based pursuit of democracy, equality, justice, and freedom for all (Koenig et al. 2019). This perspective makes pragmatism a valuable tool in the creation of knowledge for social work and other fields that strive for these goals. Nevertheless, pragmatism has its critics, who argue that it fails to provide an adequate account of the foundational principles of human understanding and cognition, as well as the implications of this knowledge for our societies and the wider world. Despite this, pragmatism is an important paradigm that has contributed to a wide range of social work practices and academic disciplines.