pragmatism

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

prag·ma·tism

(prăg′mə-tĭz′əm)

1. Philosophy A movement consisting of varying but associated theories, originally developed by Charles S. Peirce and William James and distinguished by the doctrine that the meaning or truth value of an idea or a proposition lies in its observable practical consequences.

2. A practical, matter-of-fact way of approaching or assessing situations or of solving problems.

prag′ma·tist n.

prag′ma·tis′tic adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

pragmatism

(ˈpræɡməˌtɪzəm)

1. action or policy dictated by consideration of the immediate practical consequences rather than by theory or dogma

2. (Philosophy) philosophy

a. the doctrine that the content of a concept consists only in its practical applicability

b. the doctrine that truth consists not in correspondence with the facts but in successful coherence with experience. See also instrumentalism

ˈpragmatist n, adj

ˌpragmaˈtistic adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

prag•ma•tism

(ˈpræg məˌtɪz əm)

n.

1. character or conduct that emphasizes practical results or concerns rather than theory or principle.

2. a philosophical movement or system having various forms, but generally stressing practical consequences as constituting the essential criterion in determining meaning, truth, or value.

[1860–65]

prag′ma•tist, n., adj.

prag`ma•tis′tic, adj.

pragmatism

a philosophical system stressing practical consequences and values as standards by which the validity of concepts are to be determined. — pragmatist, n., adj. — pragmatistic, adj.

pragmatism

An American philosophical school; the view that the meaning of things is in their practical relation to people.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	pragmatism - (philosophy) the doctrine that practical consequences are the criteria of knowledge and meaning and value instrumentalism - a system of pragmatic philosophy that considers idea to be instruments that should guide our actions and their value is measured by their success philosophy - the rational investigation of questions about existence and knowledge and ethics philosophical doctrine, philosophical theory - a doctrine accepted by adherents to a philosophy
	2.	pragmatism - the attribute of accepting the facts of life and favoring practicality and literal truth realism practicality - concerned with actual use rather than theoretical possibilities

Translations

pragmatismo

pragmatisme

pragmatismo

pragmatism

[ˈprægmətɪzəm] N → pragmatismo m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

pragmatism

[ˈprægmətɪzəm] n → pragmatisme m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

pragmatism

n → Pragmatismus m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

pragmatism

[ˈprægməˌtɪz/əm] n → pragmatismo

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

References in classic literature ?

Schiller, was one of the three founders of pragmatism. The view of the "behaviourists" is that nothing can be known except by external observation.

View in context

Dollop, the spirited landlady of the Tankard in Slaughter Lane, who had often to resist the shallow pragmatism of customers disposed to think that their reports from the outer world were of equal force with what had "come up" in her mind.

View in context

FALSE IDEAS ARE THOSE THAT WE CANNOT." That was the main consideration for pragmatism.

The pragmatic American: William James and our homegrown way of thought

With the poetry, however, also comes pragmatism. The 68 units are divided into three blocks arranged around a courtyard.

German Del Sol: housing, Madrid, Spain

In what will be seen as criticism of the Tory leader's approach over the last year, Lord Saatchi criticised the triumph of pragmatism over principles.

Saatchi's warning about cynical voters

The Landscape of Reform: Civic Pragmatism and Environmental Thought in America Ben A.

New books

But then there is Tokyo, which could be said to rest at the far end of the spectrum of government action from Rotterdam, on the lunatic fringe of private pragmatism. In the 1950s, the city's vast center was rebuilt along property lines whose dimensions derived from the span of wooden rafters over wooden houses.

What should New Orleans do?

He described it as a reflection of "American pragmatism".

Two-thirds of Americans want Creationism taught in schools

Pragmatism reinforced this perspective and theoretical speculation was generally disdained.

Charles Lemert, Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classical Readings

At the end of the day, however, what emerges from the Treasury and White House must--to have a reasonable chance of enactment--be marked by realism and pragmatism.

Tax reform: deja vu all over again? Maybe yes, maybe no

Nietzsche's Pragmatism: A Study on Perspectival Thought

Full browser ?

CITE

Site: Follow: Share:

Open / Close