Pragmatic thinking. When did pragmatism appear? A pragmatic person or a pragmatic person

Pragmatism is a familiar word and people often hear it in such concepts as: pragmatism, pragmatic person. In the usual average view, the term is associated with something integral, solid, efficient and rational.

Pragmatism - what is it?

Since ancient times, people have sought to give everything a name and an explanation for the practical purpose of passing on knowledge to the next generation. Translated from other Greek. pragmatism is “action”, “deed”, “kind”. In its main meaning, it is a philosophical movement based on practical activity, as a result of which the stated truth is confirmed or refuted. The founding father of pragmatism as a method is an American philosopher of the 19th century. Charles Pierce.

Who is a pragmatist?

A pragmatist is a person who is a supporter of the philosophical direction - pragmatism. In modern everyday meaning, a pragmatic person is a strong personality, which is characterized by:

predominance of logical and;
strategicity;
denies idealism;
checks everything in practice (“people of action”);
knows how to plan his time wisely;
the goal must have a specific result in the form of benefits;
achieves everything himself;
manages his life as much as possible;

Is pragmatism good or bad?

If we consider any personality quality, moderation is important in everything. A positive personality trait in an exaggerated, redundant version turns into a trait with a minus sign, and pragmatism is no exception. A person who is accustomed to achieving his goals can “go over his head” without taking into account the feelings of others, while becoming tougher every time. In society, such individuals are more likely to cause envy - people see the successful result of their activities, but do not imagine what efforts the pragmatist had to expend and think that he is just “lucky” with connections.

Pragmatism in philosophy

The use of the ideas of pragmatism, which became an independent method only in the 19th century, can be traced among ancient philosophers such as Socrates and Aristotle. Pragmatism in philosophy is the views that have come to replace or counterbalance the idealistic current, “detached from reality,” as Charles Pierce believed. The main postulate, which has become the famous “Peirce’s principle,” explains pragmatism as action or manipulation with an object and obtaining a result in the course of practical activity. The ideas of pragmatism continued to develop in the works of other famous philosophers:

W. James (1862 - 1910) philosopher-psychologist - created the doctrine of radical empiricism. In research he turned to facts, behavioral acts and practical actions, rejecting abstract ideas unconfirmed by experience.
John Dewey (1859-1952) saw his task as developing pragmatism for the benefit of people to improve the quality of life. Instrumentalism is a new direction created by Dewey, in which the ideas and theories put forward should serve people as tools that change people's lives for the better.
R. Rorty (1931-2007), a neo-pragmatist philosopher, believed that any knowledge, even through experience, is situationally limited and historically conditioned.

Pragmatism in psychology

Pragmatism in psychology is the practical activity of a person leading to a certain intended result. There is a stereotype that pragmatists are mostly men. The trend of today shows that women are equally successful in achieving their goals. The pragmatic approach in psychology divides manifestations into successful (useful) and useless (inhibiting the path to success). Caution and pragmatism are the key to a good life, pragmatists believe, while psychologists do not see this life position in entirely rosy terms:

pragmatism is not an organic model;
pragmatists often violate the traditional and moral way of life: for them the result is more important than human interaction;
In many countries, pragmatism has shown itself to be a dead end. Bringing people together to achieve results is considered a higher priority.

Pragmatism in religion

The concept of pragmatism has its origins in religion. A person belonging to one or another faith interacts with the divine principle through the experience of self-restraint: fasting, prayer, deprivation of sleep, the practice of silence - these are those practical tools developed over centuries that help to enter a special state of unity with God. Pragmatism is most expressed in the Protestant principle of freedom of conscience - the right to personal freedom of choice and belief.

Pragmatists are people who do not recognize authorities. They doubt everything that surrounds them, but at the same time their behavior is purely rational and depends on the actions of other people. At the same time, it cannot be said that they are reflexive and act rashly. On the contrary, to act pragmatically means to act rationally, even selfishly, based on personal interests or the interests of those around them.

What's important and what's not

Pragmatists are also those who recognize that everything in the world is bought and sold and has its price. It doesn't matter to them what beliefs or moral qualities their opponent has. What is important is what he offers or sells, and, therefore, what benefits can be obtained from the transaction. It is not important whether these are transactions of economic exchange, obtaining financial or symbolic, moral profit. The main thing is not to lose money and not end up as a loser. Therefore, it is fundamentally important to obtain a concrete result from your actions. If there is no result, then the actions are regarded exclusively as non-pragmatic.

Design

In addition, pragmatists are people of one project. No, they don't live one day at a time. Cold calculation and lack of emotionality when solving business problems make them care about others, probably to a greater extent than a sensitive person prone to rash decisions. However, they will not do anything if they do not understand why they need it. Having solved one project, they always begin to solve the second, third, etc. There are no moral assessments - good or bad. There is only an understanding of what is profitable and what is not so good. Therefore, it can be argued that in their personal lives, pragmatists are like behind a stone wall - cozy, comfortable and safe.

Strength

It would also be correct to say that pragmatists are strong people. They don’t ask unnecessary questions and don’t expect stupid answers. They act and earn authority for themselves and the people they love. They do not hide behind other people’s problems, but resolve all controversial issues on their own. Exactly what methods are used is, as they say, a completely different question. One way or another, the task at hand must be solved.

In any case, a pragmatist is a person who thinks rationally. They make life easier for themselves and those around them. And no unnecessary words or gestures. The simpler the better. They don't dream and don't fly in the clouds. They know their business and almost always achieve their goals.

These include:

Proactivity - actions are always focused on an object or goal. Fast, high quality and meaningful. So, perhaps, it is necessary to formulate the creed of a pragmatist.

Demandingness - first of all towards yourself. Knowing how to count does not mean wasting money and time. Just like skimping on acquired goods. The flip side of this quality is luck, which is typical only for strong personalities.

Freedom - you cannot achieve something if you do not feel the opportunity to self-actualize. Yes, a person is constrained by some obligations and requirements, but they play a guiding, not a limiting role.

pragmatism

Dictionary of medical terms

pragmatism (Greek pragma, pragmatos action, practice)

a type of positivism that recognizes their usefulness as the only criterion for the truth of ideas, theories, etc.; in medicine ignores the objective nature of the mechanism of disease development.

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. D.N. Ushakov

pragmatism

pragmatism, plural no, m. (from Greek pragma - action) (philosophy, scientific).

A subjective-idealistic movement in philosophy, a type of Machism, which denies the objective existence of truth, recognizes practice and experience as the only criterion, and deduces the necessity of the existence of God for practical purposes. The differences between Machism and pragmatism are as insignificant and tenfold from the point of view of materialism as the differences between empirio-criticism and empirio-monism. Lenin.

A theory of historical knowledge that considers the historical process as a chain of individual events in their cause-and-effect relationship, but without illuminating them from the point of view of general historical laws.

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. S.I.Ozhegov, N.Yu.Shvedova.

pragmatism

A direction in philosophy that denies the need to know the objective laws of reality and recognizes as truth only that which gives practically useful results.

In historical science: a direction limited to the description of events in their external connection and sequence without revealing the patterns of their development.

adj. pragmatic, -aya, -oe.

New explanatory dictionary of the Russian language, T. F. Efremova.

pragmatism

m. A direction in philosophy, according to which the objectivity of truth is denied, and only that which gives practically useful results is recognized as true.

m. A direction in historiography, characterized by a presentation of events in their external connection and sequence, without revealing the objective laws of historical development.

m. Following in everything narrow practical interests, considerations of benefit and benefit.

Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1998

pragmatism

PRAGMATISM (from the Greek pragma, gen. pragmatos - deed, action) is a philosophical doctrine that interprets philosophy as a general method of solving problems that people face in various life situations. Objects of knowledge, from the point of view of pragmatism, are formed by cognitive efforts in the course of solving practical problems; thinking is a means for adapting the body to the environment for the purpose of successful action; concepts and theories - tools, tools; truth is interpreted in pragmatism as practical utility. Originated in the 70s. 19th century in the USA; the main ideas were expressed by C. Pierce, the doctrine was developed by W. James, J. Dewey, F. C. S. Schiller, J. G. Mead.

Pragmatism

(from Greek prágma, genitive prágmatos ≈ deed, action), subjective idealistic philosophical doctrine. Originated in the 70s. 19th century in the USA and became most widespread in the 20th century. in the period before the 2nd World War 1939–45, having a strong influence on the entire spiritual life of the country. The main ideas of P. were expressed by C. Pierce, then this doctrine was developed by W. James, J. Dewey, and J. G. Mead. P. also had supporters in Great Britain (F.K.S. Schiller) and other countries.

Accusing all previous philosophy, as well as the absolute idealism of F. Bradley ≈ J. Royce, which prevailed at that time in Anglo-American universities, as being divorced from life, abstract and contemplative, P. came up with a program of “reconstruction in philosophy”: philosophy should be not a reflection on the first principles of being and knowledge, as it has been considered since the time of Aristotle, but a general method for solving those problems that confront people in various life (“problematic”) situations, in the process of their activities taking place in a continuously changing world. Adhering to the tradition of subjective-idealistic empiricism, P. identifies the entire reality surrounding a person with “experience,” which, however, cannot be reduced to feelings and perceptions, but is understood as “everything that is experienced in experience” (Dewey), that is, as any content consciousness, as a “stream of consciousness” (James). P.'s subjective idealistic empiricism makes him similar to Machism, and with his irrationalistic tendency P. is close to the teachings of the French philosopher A. Bergson. According to P., experience is never given to us initially as something definite, but all objects of knowledge are formed by our cognitive efforts in the course of solving emerging life problems. Using the one-sidedly interpreted ideas of Charles Darwin, P. considers thinking only as a means for adapting the organism to the environment for the purpose of successful action. The function of thought is not in knowledge as a reflection of objective reality and the corresponding orientation of activity, but in overcoming doubt, which is an obstacle to action (Peirce), in choosing the means necessary to achieve a goal (James) or to solve a “problematic situation” (Dewey). Ideas, concepts and theories are just tools, tools or plans for action. Their meaning, according to the basic doctrine of P. ≈ so-called. "Peirce's principle" comes down entirely to possible practical consequences. Accordingly, “...truth is defined as usefulness...” (Dewey J., Reconstruction in philosophy, Boston, 1957, p. 157) or the workability of an idea. This definition of truth is the most characteristic and most odious doctrine of P., from which follows the absolutization of the role of success, turning it not only into the only criterion of the truth of ideas, but also into the very content of the concept of truth.

The pragmatist theory of truth was directly used by James to justify religious faith: “... the hypothesis about God is true if it serves satisfactorily...” (“Pragmatism”, St. Petersburg, 1910, p. 182). “Pragmatism,” wrote V.I. Lenin, “ridicules the metaphysics of both materialism and idealism, extols experience and only experience, recognizes practice as the only criterion... and... successfully removes God from all this for practical purposes, only for practice, without any metaphysics, without any going beyond the limits of experience...” (Complete collection of works, 5th ed., vol. 18, p. 363, note). The use of P. in the socio-political field invariably served apologetic purposes to justify political actions that helped strengthen the existing system.

Since the late 1930s. P.'s influence in American philosophy begins to wane. With the immigration of a number of European philosophers, other philosophical movements spread. However, while losing its significance as a leading philosophical trend, philosophy continues to influence the solution of many methodological and logical problems (W. Quine, K. I. Lewis, N. Goodman, E. Nagel, etc.), largely determining the style of political thinking in the USA. The restored pragmatist concept of practice is used by right-wing revisionists (especially from the Yugoslav journal Praxis) to distort the Marxist understanding of practice and to fight against Lenin's theory of reflection.

Lit.: Wells G., Pragmatism ≈ the philosophy of imperialism, trans. from English, M., 1955; Bogomolov A.S., Anglo-American bourgeois philosophy of the era of imperialism, M., 1964; Melville Yu. K., Charles Pierce and pragmatism, M., 1968; Hill T.I., Modern theories of knowledge, trans. from English, M., 1965; Modern bourgeois philosophy, M., 1972; Moore E. S., American pragmatism: Peirce, James and Dewey, N. Y., 1961; Morris Ch. W., The pragmatic movement in American philosophy, N. Y., 1970; Thayer H. S., Meaning and action. A study of American pragmatism, N.Y., 1973.

Y. K. Melville.

Wikipedia

Pragmatism

Pragmatism- a philosophical movement based on practice as a criterion of truth and semantic significance. Its origin is associated with the name of the 19th century American philosopher Charles Peirce, who was the first to formulate the “maxim” of pragmatism. Pragmatism further developed in the works of William James, John Dewey and George Santayana. Among the main directions of pragmatism, instrumentalism, fallibilism, anti-realism, radical empiricism, verificationism, etc. are known. Attention to pragmatism grew significantly in the second half of the 20th century with the emergence of a new philosophical school, which focused on criticism of logical positivism, relying on its own version of pragmatism. These were representatives of analytical philosophy Willard Quine, Wilfrid Sellars and others. Their concept was then developed by Richard Rorty, who later switched to the position of continental philosophy and was criticized for relativism. Modern philosophical pragmatism then divided into analytical and relativistic directions. In addition to them, there is also a neoclassical direction, in particular, represented by the works.

Pragmatism in historical science - a term used with quite different meanings. For the first time, the adjective “pragmatic” was applied to history by Polybius, who called pragmatic history such an image of the past that concerns state events, the latter being considered in connection with their causes, the accompanying circumstances and their consequences, and the image of events itself aims to teach a certain lesson.

Pragmatist- follower, supporter of pragmatism as a philosophical system. In the everyday sense pragmatist- this is a person who builds his system of actions and views on life in the aspect of obtaining practically useful results. “What is best for us to believe is true,” said the founder of pragmatism, William James.

Examples of the use of the word pragmatism in literature.

The hero of the drama - a young gifted musician and boxer Joe Bonaparte - is faced with a choice: on the one hand, he is attracted by boxing, which promises quick enrichment, a symbol of individualism and spirituality. pragmatism, and on the other - music, i.e.

Clean pragmatism, without the slightest trace of any lilac fog.

The need to present with extreme thoroughness and accuracy the psychological and historical pragmatism events tied into a fatal knot leads to an almost judicial protocolism of tone, which replaces the fluid painting of the epic system.

The evolution of the Reformation from scholasticism to increasing rationalism and pragmatism, the secularity of the worldview is also visible from Zwingli’s understanding of some dogmas.

Philosophies of empirio-criticism, critical realism, empirio-monism, pragmatism and others do not represent fundamentally new directions of philosophical thought.

I almost envied them, but unfortunately, due to the innocence and youthful enthusiasm I had lost, there was also a regret that at their age I did not possess even a small part of that pragmatism, which was available in abundance at Saint-Audran.

Skolim's, Popper's falsificationism as a criterion of scientificity is quite consistent with Peirce's pragmatism in the understanding of objectivity.

I ask everyone present to note this provocative question, which reeks of Malthusianism, neo-Malthusianism, a mile away, pragmatism, existential.

The essence of the great revolution of thought that we are now experiencing, a revolution whose philosophical aspect is the revival and proclamation of nominalism under the name pragmatism, is that it asserts the significance of individual authority as opposed to generalization.

Pragmatism does not recognize objective reality and the possibility of knowing it, denies the objective nature of truth.

This means that religious pragmatism should be understood as liberal tolerance to any forms of religion and to any beliefs.

Of course, one should not indulge in illusions about the value of this reflection: pragmatism- this is only an auxiliary means that can claim significance only until, in addition to the cognitive abilities of the intellect, colored by temperament, other sources are discovered that could add new elements to the process of formation of philosophical views.

That's why pragmatism cannot be anything more than a transitional attitude, which must prepare the way for the creative act through the elimination of prejudices.

So, what is more important for a person, what ensures his position in society - moral maximalism, adherence to the norms of natural valor, or frank pragmatism, usually covered up by the appearance of general benefit, is another difficult problem that arose before Sophocles' contemporaries.

It should be noted that postmodernism, which today claims a leading role in philosophy, in any case attracting a lot of attention, especially from those who are disappointed in the capabilities of classical philosophical traditions to answer the most burning questions of modern life, has not become something in the field of philosophy of science. then original and, in fact, is only an echo of the classical pragmatism Ch.

Pragmatism is usually called a life position that allows you to plan and realize your own goals as clearly as possible. This quality means having the ability to abstract from everything that interferes with the implementation of the task. Pragmatists know how not to be distracted by accompanying trifles and therefore move towards their goal quickly and confidently.

Wikipedia gives the following definition: in the everyday sense, a pragmatist is a person who organizes his actions and views on life into a system that allows him to obtain practically useful results.

What is pragmatism?

The presence of this trait in a person’s character not only allows him to derive personal benefit from everything that is in his environment. True pragmatism is the ability to set certain life goals as clearly and specifically as possible and find the best ways to solve them.

In other words, this quality allows a person to approach his own priorities and needs as objectively as possible, select the most important ones and consistently implement them.

Unfortunately, popular rumor is quite negative towards pragmatism as utilitarianism. In our culture, a weak-willed and weak-willed person who lives according to the principle “as God willing” is cultivated as a positive image. A pragmatic person is the master of his own life, because he clearly knows not only what he wants, but also how to achieve what he wants.

How to cultivate pragmatism in yourself

What to do if you are not a pragmatist by nature or by upbringing? Is it possible to cultivate this quality in yourself?

In fact, this is possible if you follow some rules.

First of all, you need to decide on your goals and objectives and clearly understand what exactly you want. However, this understanding should not be abstract, for example: “I want to become a millionaire. But this is unrealistic, so I won’t do anything.”

You must imagine as clearly as possible what steps need to be taken to achieve what you want. For example, in order to earn a decent living, you need to determine your own abilities and skills and work to ensure that they are in demand.

The main rule of pragmatists is: never take the next action until the previous one is completed. Only if each of the stages is implemented to the highest possible quality, is it possible to achieve the set goal.

Pragmatists constantly make plans, even the most fantastic ones. Only those who dream can make their dreams come true.

In order to hone your strategic thinking skills, try to realize some of your long-standing dreams. To do this you will need to do the following:

Decide on a goal.
Make a written plan for its implementation. To do this you will need to answer the following questions:
- How much money will you need to accomplish your plan?
- Who can provide you with effective help?
- What challenges will you face? Make a plan to overcome them in advance.
- What will you need to know and be able to do to complete the task?
When you are faced with a practical task, draw up a consistent, detailed plan for its implementation.

With proper training, you will learn to plan your life in such a way that you get everything you want from it!

Some people are distinguished by their ability to quickly and purposefully achieve their goals. This indicates the presence in their character of such a quality as pragmatism. They confidently move towards their goal despite any obstacles. For pragmatists, the result is important. If they doubt that the matter will have a positive outcome, they will not waste their energy on implementing the planned event. Pragmatists are punctual, calculating and demanding people.

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What is pragmatism?

The meaning of the word “pragmatism” implies a tendency to follow narrow practical interests, considerations of utility and benefit in everything, to build one’s own line of behavior and a system of views on life aimed at obtaining practically useful results.

The essence of true pragmatism is to set clear goals and look for ways to achieve them and further implement them. People with this quality are also characterized by prudence and common sense.

Pragmatism helps a person to reveal his full potential, to concentrate all his attention on priorities and primary needs with a view to their step-by-step implementation.

Pragmatism is often perceived as a negative character trait, since it is believed that this quality speaks of a person’s commercialism and cynicism. A distinctive characteristic of a pragmatist is the ability to ignore everything unnecessary that interferes with the implementation of the plan, to correctly plan and distribute every minute of one’s time.

Unlike commercialism, pragmatism is not characterized by pettiness, prudence, or the desire to seek benefits for oneself in any situation.

Traits of Pragmatic People

A pragmatic person is the master of his own destiny, because he knows what he wants to achieve in life and how it can be achieved. The minds of these people work calmly, prudently and without unnecessary emotions. This character trait is more often present in men, since women are more susceptible to the influence of feelings.

The main thing for a pragmatist is the end result. If a person sees in front of him a successful outcome of a planned event, then he will achieve his goal. Otherwise, the pragmatist will not waste his precious time, since material results are considered an indicator of success for him. He tries to get more out of what he has.

Pragmatists are not characterized by daydreaming, living in a world of illusions and fantasies. They look at the situation soberly and do everything possible to find a basis for the implementation of their principles and views.

One of the positive aspects of pragmatism is that a person does not have a stage of euphoria, and, accordingly, no reason for disappointment.

People with this character trait do not like to be frank; they are not characterized by sincerity, talkativeness and sentimentality. They understand: if someone has confidential and personal information, then the data obtained can be used for someone else’s selfish purposes for blackmail or manipulation.

A pragmatic person tries to maintain purely formal relations with all people from his immediate environment, keeps his distance, and is careful in his communication. He will never change his plans because of someone's whims, stubbornness or whim.

In addition, pragmatists are characterized by the following qualities: