Consider the practical effects of the objects of your conception. Then, your conception of those effects is the whole of your conception of the object.
Pragmatism is a philosophy that sees language and thought as tools for solving problems and taking action, rather than just describing reality. Pragmatists believe that philosophical questions, like what knowledge is or how language works, are best understood by looking at how they're used in practice and what successes they bring.
History[edit | edit source]
Pragmatism started in the United States around the 1870s. Philosophers like 
Charles Sanders Peirce, 
William James, and 
John Dewey are often credited with its beginnings. In 1878, Peirce summed up pragmatism with his pragmatic maxim: "Consider the practical effects of your ideas. Your understanding of what something is depends on how it works in the real world."
Beliefs[edit | edit source]
Epistemology[edit | edit source]
Pragmatists reject 
Foundationalism, viewing justification as arising from relationships among beliefs rather than privileging any single belief. They adopt a pragmatic or deflationary view of truth, where truth is not fixed or abstract but determined by the practical usefulness of a belief in solving problems and achieving desirable outcomes.
Ideas as Practical Tools[edit | edit source]
Concepts and beliefs are valued not for theoretical consistency but for their ability to address real-world problems. Philosophy itself is seen as a practical tool for addressing human concerns and improving life, rather than as an abstract intellectual exercise.
Focus on Experience[edit | edit source]
Pragmatism prioritizes lived experience and empirical testing over abstract theorizing. Knowledge is understood as a dynamic process of inquiry, experimentation, and adaptation, where hypotheses are formed, tested, and revised in response to changing circumstances, always remaining open to new possibilities.
Pluralism and Anti-Absolutism[edit | edit source]
Rejecting the idea of a single, absolute truth, pragmatists embrace 
Pluralism, acknowledging the validity of diverse perspectives across different contexts. They oppose rigid ideologies and dogmas, favoring flexible, adaptive thought that respects complexity and diversity.
Philosophy of Science and Language[edit | edit source]
Pragmatists advocate 
Instrumentalism and 
Scientific Anti-Realism, valuing the explanatory and predictive utility of scientific concepts over their correspondence to objective reality. In language, they reject 
Referentialism, focusing instead on the practical functions of meaning, such as action dispositions and inferential relationships.
Theory of Truth[edit | edit source]
Deflationism is a view in theory of truth, claiming that truth is not a substantive property of anything, but rather a tool for making generalizations.
Additional Elements[edit | edit source]
Pragmatists often embrace 
Empiricism, 
Fallibilism, and a 
Naturalist metaphilosophy, emphasizing adaptability and openness to revision. While some pragmatists lean toward 
Epistemological Relativism, this view remains a subject of debate within the tradition.
Individual Beliefs[edit | edit source]
Charles Sanders Peirce[edit | edit source]
William James[edit | edit source]
John Dewey[edit | edit source]
Variants[edit | edit source]
Radical Pragmatism[edit | edit source]
Criticism[edit | edit source]
Criticism of Pragmatism or Anti-Pragmatism is a WIP. The philosophers who critized the pragmatic philosophy are for example Albert Schinz.
How to Draw[edit | edit source]
Relationships[edit | edit source]
Friends[edit | edit source]
Radical Centrism - Bridging extremes with actual solutions? That's the spirit.- Pluralism - Many problems, many solutions.
- Empiricism - Results speak louder than speculation.
Fallibilism - Mistakes are just data for better decisions.
Fictionalism - True or not, stories are necessities to get things done.
Relativism - You know how to read the room. Truth is never one-size-fits-all.
Reliabilism - Track record > theory.
Cybernetics - Your feedback loops are pure gold. Nothing's smarter than a system that learns from itself.
Eclecticism - My broader philosophical cousin. Take what works, ditch the rest.
Frenemies[edit | edit source]
Consequentialism & 
Teleology - Results matter, sure, but only if they serve functionality. Don't let big goals blind you to what reality demands along the way.
Machiavellianism - Power and manipulation have their uses. But ethics still matter, or consequences catch up.
Rationalism & 
Intellectualism - Cool ideas, but don't float too far off the ground. Theory has to play nice with practice.
Game Theory - Love your logic, hate your assumptions. We know people aren't that consistent.
Analytic Philosophy - Precision matters, but not at the cost of relevance.
Virtue Ethics - Virtue is cool, but how does it function in real life? Still, your flexible framework has its moments.
Skepticism - Questioning points out flaws. But at some point, we have to act, even with limited info.
Holism & 
Emergentism - Complexity indeed can't be predicted linearly. But sometimes you get stuck contemplating the whole maze when I just need the nearest exit.
Reductionism - Love your simplicity, hate your rigidity. Real-world solutions need flexibility, not a rulebook.
Existentialism - Freedom and responsibility? Excellent. Angst? Optional.
Phenomenology - Experience matters, but policy needs more than introspection.
Post-Modernism - Thanks for wrecking rigid meta-narratives. Now can we rebuild something new that is useful?
Anti-Philosophy - I'm not against theory, just the kind that dies in the lecture hall. If it works in the real world, I'm all for it.
Epistemological Anarchism - You're wild, chaotic, and refuse consistency, which can be frustrating... but also opens up space for creativity. I'll take chaos with results over rigid failure any day.- Post-Modernism - Thanks for wrecking rigid meta-narratives. Now can we rebuild something new that is useful?
Liberalism & 
Progressivism - Rights and ideals are cool, but make sure to translate them into practical policy.
Conservatism - No need to fix what isn't broken. But nostalgia and peer pressure from dead people aren't valid excuses to avoid updating the system.
Libertarianism - Freedom's great. But without some structures, you're just handing the steering wheel to the most powerful in the room.
Altruism - Your heart's in the right place, but check if it works.
Egoism - Self-interest is real. Just don't ignore the social cost.
Asceticism - Less is more, but don't glorify misery. I want functional living, not monastic withdrawal.
Hedonism - Pleasure is a metric, but not the only one. Focus on just one is a disaster waiting to happen.
Transhumanism - Big ideas, wild visions. Just show me the beta test first, then we can talk.
Fideism - Faith, you say? An unexpected source of motivation in the absence of traditional meaning. Just don't be blinded by it to the point you ignore the reality around you.
Enemies[edit | edit source]
Dogmatism - Flexibility or failure.
Nihilism - You believe in nothing, which means you accomplish... nothing.
Fatalism - You've given up before we even started, which means you accomplish... nothing as well.
Utopianism - Don't wait for a perfect world, build a better one now.
Deontology - What good is a rule that breaks under pressure?
Perfectionism - Iteration beats imagination.
Infallibilism - You're allergic to change.
Essentialism - Life's too messy for tidy labels.
Scientism - You confuse method with meaning. Not every problem wants your lab coat.
Marxism - Ideology that calls itself "scientific", promised heaven on earth... and as always, led to deaths, wars and famine. The priority of politics should be solving real problems, not idealistic millenarianism.
Quotes[edit | edit source]
WIP
Further Informations[edit | edit source]
Wikipedia[edit | edit source]
Theoreticians[edit | edit source]
YouTube[edit | edit source]
Videos[edit | edit source]
- Pragmatism: A Philosophy for Everyone by PhilosophyToons
Literature[edit | edit source]
- A Pluralistic Universe by William James
[edit | edit source]
 Ethics - Please follow the standards  |
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 Philosophy of Science - E=mc² |
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