pragmatism

pragmatism
   A distinctly American philosophy, pragmatism emerged in Charles Peirce's development and defence of pragmatic efficacy as a criterion for discerning the meaning of words. According to Peirce, meaning can be found in the conceivable effects that a particular assertion might have on life. As a result, statements that have no conceivable effect are dismissed as nonsense. While Peirce did not apply pragmatism beyond these relatively narrow confines, William James retooled pragmatism as a theory of truth. Hence, in Pragmatism James makes the claim that truth is whatever is good or useful in belief. Christian philosophers have generally been critical of pragmatism given that it fails to recognise nature and truth as the objective ground of pragmatic efficacy.
   Further reading: Goodman 1995; James 1981; Rorty 1982

Christian Philosophy . . 2015.

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  • Pragmatism — pragmatism …   Philosophy dictionary

  • Pragmatism — • As a tendency in philosophy, signifies the insistence on usefulness or practical consequences as a test of truth. Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Pragmatism     Pragmatism   …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • pragmatism — PRAGMATÍSM s.n. Curent filozofic idealist care, negând adevărul obiectiv, proclamă drept unic criteriu al adevărului numai ceea ce este util şi avantajos din punct de vedere practic. – fr. pragmatisme. Trimis de deka u, 05.08.2004. Sursa: DLRM … …   Dicționar Român

  • Pragmatism — Prag ma*tism, n. The quality or state of being pragmatic; in literature, the pragmatic, or philosophical, method. [1913 Webster] The narration of this apparently trifling circumstance belongs to the pragmatism of the history. A. Murphy. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pragmatism — I noun expedience, expediency, matter of factness, practical attitude, practicality, practicalness, rationality, realism, realistic attitude, realisticness, reasonableness, sensibility, sensibleness, sound thinking, unidealism, unsentimentality… …   Law dictionary

  • pragmatism — (n.) matter of fact treatment, 1825, from Gk. pragmat , stem of pragma (see PRAGMATIC (Cf. pragmatic)). As a philosophical doctrine, 1898, said to be from 1870s. Probably from Ger. Pragmatismus. As a political theory, from 1951. Related:… …   Etymology dictionary

  • pragmatism — ► NOUN 1) a pragmatic attitude or policy. 2) Philosophy an approach that evaluates theories or beliefs in terms of the success of their practical application. DERIVATIVES pragmatist noun …   English terms dictionary

  • pragmatism — [prag′mə tiz΄əm] n. 1. the quality or condition of being pragmatic ☆ 2. a method or tendency in philosophy, started by C. S. Peirce and William James, which determines the meaning and truth of all concepts by their practical consequences… …   English World dictionary

  • Pragmatism — This article is about the philosophical movement. For other uses, see Pragmatism (disambiguation). Pragmatism is a philosophical tradition centered on the linking of practice and theory. It describes a process where theory is extracted from… …   Wikipedia

  • pragmatism — pragmatistic, adj. /prag meuh tiz euhm/, n. 1. character or conduct that emphasizes practicality. 2. a philosophical movement or system having various forms, but generally stressing practical consequences as constituting the essential criterion… …   Universalium

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