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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
pragmatism
noun
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ Strauss' pragmatism has kept the company profitable.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ Does the as-if strategy of pragmatism allow a better explanation?
▪ His attitude toward society is a guarded, somewhat pessimistic pragmatism.
▪ In short, leaders attempt to bridge the gap between idealism and pragmatism.
▪ Mr Rafsanjani's pragmatism deserves pragmatic acceptance.
▪ Speaking as fellow politicians, they instead stressed his vision and his pragmatism.
▪ The pendulum has swung from silly dreaming to grinding pragmatism.
▪ When state department analysts are asked for their opinions, however, pragmatism will probably trump ideology.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Pragmatism

Pragmatism \Prag"ma*tism\, n. The quality or state of being pragmatic; in literature, the pragmatic, or philosophical, method.

The narration of this apparently trifling circumstance belongs to the pragmatism of the history.
--A. Murphy.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
pragmatism

"matter-of-fact treatment," 1825, from Greek pragmat-, stem of pragma "that which has been done" (see pragmatic) + -ism. As a philosophical doctrine, 1898, said to be from 1870s; probably from German Pragmatismus. As a name for a political theory, from 1951. Related: Pragmatist (1630s as "busybody;" 1892 as "adherent of a pragmatic philosophy").

Wiktionary
pragmatism

n. 1 The pursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities; a concentration on facts rather than emotions or ideals. 2 (context politics English) The theory that political problems should be met with practical solutions rather than ideological ones. 3 (context philosophy English) The idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer, and the truth of beliefs with success of those actions in securing a believer's goals; the doctrine that ideas must be looked at in terms of their practical effects and consequences.

WordNet
pragmatism
  1. n. (philosophy) the doctrine that practical consequences are the criteria of knowledge and meaning and value

  2. the attribute of accepting the facts of life and favoring practicality and literal truth [syn: realism]

Wikipedia
Pragmatism

Pragmatism as a philosophical tradition began in the United States around 1870. Charles Sanders Peirce, generally considered to be its founder, later described it in his pragmatic maxim:

Pragmatism rejects the idea that the function of thought is to describe, represent, or mirror reality. Instead, pragmatists consider thought an instrument or tool for prediction, problem solving and action. Pragmatists contend that most philosophical topics—such as the nature of knowledge, language, concepts, meaning, belief, and science—are all best viewed in terms of their practical uses and successes. The philosophy of pragmatism “emphasizes the practical application of ideas by acting on them to actually test them in human experiences”. Pragmatism focuses on a “changing universe rather than an unchanging one as the Idealists, Realists and Thomists had claimed”.

The word "pragmatism" as a piece of technical terminology in philosophy refers to a specific set of associated philosophical views originating in the late nineteenth-century. However, the phrase is often confused with "pragmatism" in the context of politics (which refers to politics or diplomacy based primarily on practical considerations, rather than ideological notions) and with a non-technical use of "pragmatism" in ordinary contexts referring to dealing with matters in one's life realistically and in a way that is based on practical rather than abstract considerations.

Pragmatism (disambiguation)

Pragmatism is a philosophical movement.

Pragmatism or pragmatic may also refer to:

  • Pragmaticism, Charles Sanders Peirce's post-1905 branch of philosophy
  • Pragmatics, a subfield of linguistics and semiotics
  • Pragmatic ethics, a theory of normative philosophical ethics
  • Realpolitik, politics or diplomacy based primarily on practical considerations, rather than ideological notions
  • Centrism, politics based on acceptance or support of a balance of a degree of social equality and a degree of social hierarchy, while opposing political changes which would result in a significant shift of society either strongly to the left or the right.

Usage examples of "pragmatism".

Compared to the steady orientation of the Catholic, the Protestant philosophers wavered, catching often at the latest style in thought, be it monism or pragmatism.

Between the poles of idealism and pragmatism the two envisioned a nonsectarian republic that would treat all men and women equally, with dignity.

She had never imagined she would work for an aircraft company, but to her surprise she had found that her plain-spoken, midwestern pragmatism was perfectly suited to the culture of engineers that dominated the company.

Maia hardly paid attention to the libretto, however, which followed a hackneyed theme about the ancient struggle between womanly pragmatism and the spasmodic, dangerous enthusiasms of old-fashioned males.

There had to be a whole new scene, they said, and the only way to do it was to make the big move -- either figuratively or literally -- from Berkeley to the Haight-Ashbury, from pragmatism to mysticism, from politics to dope, from the hangups of protest to the peaceful disengagement of love, nature and spontaneity.

The two of them stood in contemplation for a moment, torn bctwecri Superstition and pragmatism.

Politicos were trained to think in those terms, to cultivate less-than-perfect consensuses and accept partial victories, and it was more than mere pragmatism.

Whatever ill will Dwahvel harbored over that incident couldn't hold anyway, not when her pragmatism surfaced.

He had meant to write a series of books, to popularize the new realism as Schopenhauer had popularized pessimism and William James pragmatism.

The rest was simple pragmatism: even though baby Jesus had no hope for eternal life, odds were he wasn't going to shuffle off this mortal coil tomorrow or next year, either.

Han al- most laughed, but Skynx's simple tone of pragmatism as self-preservation lifted his opinion of the Ruurian a notch.

But he even remembers the little standing jokes between them about Pat's pragmatism, his fiscal realism, his good-humored disinterest in big ideas.

The inner-club members also share a strong preference for pragmatism and flexibility over any ideology, whether that of Lord Keynes or Milton Friedman.