pragmatism

(noun)

A philosophical tradition, prominent in the U.S. and Britain during the late 18th and early 19th century, which held that philosophies should be derived from an observation of human practices, and then used to criticize and improve those practices.

Related Terms

Examples of pragmatism in the following topics:

  • Pragmatism

    • Pragmatism, a philosophical movement during the 1870s, is a philosophical tradition centered on the linking of practice and theory.
    • Pragmatism is a philosophical tradition centered on the linking of practice and theory.
    • Pragmatism as a philosophical movement began in the United States in the 1870s.
    • Peirce called his pragmatism "the logic of abduction," the logic of inference to explanatory hypotheses.
    • Describe the philosophical commitments of pragmatism, as evidenced by the work of Charles Sanders Pierce

  • Degrees of Neutrality

    • This apparent contradiction can be explained by Franco's pragmatism and his determination to act principally in Spanish interests in the face of Allied economic pressure, Axis military demands, and Spain's geographic isolation.

  • AFL and WWI

    • Furthermore, the AFL leadership took a pragmatic view toward politicians, following Gompers' slogan to "reward your friends and punish your enemies" without regard to party affiliation.

  • The Farm Problem and Agrarian Protest Movements

    • The pragmatic portion of the Populist platform focused on issues of land, railroads, and money, including the unlimited coinage of silver.

  • Lincoln's Plan and Congress's Response

    • One historical camp argues that Lincoln's flexibility, pragmatism, and superior political skills with Congress would have solved Reconstruction with far less difficulty.

  • Economic Conditions

    • The pragmatic portion of the Populist platform focused on issues of land, railroads, and money, including the unlimited coinage of silver.

  • The G.I. Bill of Rights

    • Veterans also fought for higher education programs more focused on practical needs, which led to increased valuing of more pragmatic programs such as engineering.

  • The Holocaust

    • In many other genocides, pragmatic considerations such as control of territory and resources were central to the genocide policy.

  • The Warren Court

    • Warren's  and his view of the law was pragmatic, seeing it as an instrument for obtaining equity and fairness.