What does the word pragmatist mean? What does a pragmatic person mean?

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 negative trait character, since it is believed that this quality speaks of the commercialism and cynicism of the individual. Distinctive characteristic pragmatics is the ability to ignore everything unnecessary that prevents you from implementing your plan, correctly planning and distributing every minute of your 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 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 positive aspects 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:

  • diligence;
  • demanding of oneself and others;
  • responsibility;
  • obligation.

Pragmatist

Pragmatism- a term used in historical science with quite different meanings. The word "pragmatic" (Greek) πραγματιχός ) comes from πραγμα, which means deed, action, etc. This adjective was first applied to history by Polybius, who called it pragmatic history (Greek. πραγματιχή ίστορία ) is a depiction of the past that concerns state events, the latter being considered in connection with their causes, accompanying circumstances and their consequences, and the depiction of events itself aims to teach a certain lesson. Pragmatist- follower, supporter of pragmatism, like philosophical system. In everyday use: pragmatist is a person who builds his own system of actions, deeds and views on life in the aspect of obtaining practically useful results.

Application

When they talk about pragmatic history, they usually mean or especially put forward one of three things: either the purely political content of history (state affairs), or the method of historical presentation (establishment causation), or, finally, the purpose of the historical image (teaching). This is why the term Pragmatism suffers from some uncertainty.

The central point of Pragmatism can be considered the depiction of human actions in history, even if not exclusively political and not for the sake of teaching, but one in which their causes and consequences are sought first of all, that is, the motives and goals of the characters. In this sense, pragmatic history differs from cultural history, which deals not with events resulting from human actions (res gestae), but with the conditions of society in the material, mental, moral and public relations, and connects individual facts with each other not as causes and consequences, but as different phases in the development of one or another form. From this point of view historical facts can be divided into pragmatic (events and human actions, their components) and cultural (states of society and forms of life), and the historical connection can be either pragmatic (causal) or evolutionary.

According to this understanding, pragmatism in history should be called the study or depiction of the causal relationship that exists between individual actions of individual historical figures or between whole events in which the actors are not only units, but also entire groups, for example, political parties, social classes, entire states, etc. Such an understanding will not contradict the definition given by Polybius and most historians who used the term pragmatism.

In any case, pragmatism is interested in the person acting in history, her motives and intentions, her character and passions, in a word, her psychology, which should explain her actions: this is psychological motivation historical events. The causality that reigns in the world of phenomena manifests itself in different areas of this world in different ways, as a result of which the need arises special research causation (for example, causation in criminal law). In the field of history, this issue has been developed very little (see N. Kareev, “The Essence of the Historical Process and the Role of Personality in History,” St. Petersburg, 1890).

The theory of pragmatic history would have to explore how some events are generated by others, caused by various changes in volitional sphere actors under the influence of certain events on them, which themselves, in latest analysis, the essence is only some actions. Pragmatic history differs from sequential history precisely by penetration into the inner world of people, with the aim of not only telling the event, but also presenting its direct effect on the thoughts and feelings of contemporaries, and also showing how it itself became necessary due to the existence of those or other people who committed it. other motives and intentions. Wed. E. Bernheim, "Lehrbuch der historischen Methode" (1894).

Pragmatism as a philosophical movement of the twentieth century

  • Pragmatism (from Greek prágma, genitive prágmatos - deed, action), subjective-idealistic philosophical doctrine. The founder of P. is Charles Sanders Pierce.

Story

As a philosophical movement, pragmatism arose in last decades XIX century. The foundations of the philosophical concept of pragmatism were laid by Charles Peirce.

Pragmatism has become popular since 1906, when Peirce's follower William James gave a course of public lectures that were published under this title.

The third most prominent representative of pragmatism was John Dewey, who developed own version pragmatism, called instrumentalism

Provisions of pragmatism

According to pragmatism, the objectivity of truth as such is denied, and the real truth is considered to be that which produces results that are practically useful.

Main directions

Links

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Synonyms:

See what “Pragmatist” is in other dictionaries:

    I m. An adherent of pragmatism [pragmatism I]. II m. Representative of pragmatism [pragmatism II]. III m. One who follows narrow practical interests, considerations of utility and benefit in everything. Ephraim's explanatory dictionary. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary Russian language Efremova

    I m. An adherent of pragmatism [pragmatism I]. II m. Representative of pragmatism [pragmatism II]. III m. One who follows narrow practical interests, considerations of utility and benefit in everything. Ephraim's explanatory dictionary. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova

    Pragmatist, pragmatists, pragmatist, pragmatists, pragmatist, pragmatists, pragmatist, pragmatists, pragmatist, pragmatists, pragmatists, pragmatists (

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What is Pragmatism

Pragmatism is a philosophical movement that emerged in the United States at the end of the 19th century. The main idea, essence or concept of pragmatism is the following statement: “Any ideology, judgment or statement can be considered true only if it works satisfactorily and has practical value. All other impractical ideas are not worth considering and should be rejected.

What is PRAGMATISM - definition, meaning in simple words, briefly.

In simple words, Pragmatism is a point of view that aims to consider the practical consequences and real effects of certain actions. In other words, we can say that pragmatism is a certain worldview, the essence of which is to evaluate things, ideas or actions only from the point of view of their practicality and expediency.

Features, statements and characteristics of pragmatism.

The concept of pragmatism is inherently based on six main criteria, these are:

  • The principle of utility;
  • Faith in democracy;
  • The relationship between thought and action;
  • Metaphysics;
  • Epistemology;
  • Axiology.

The principle of utility. This is the fundamental principle on which the entire theory of pragmatism is based and is included in the main definition. The essence given principle is that only those things that are of practical use are really important.

Faith in . Since the philosophy of pragmatism supports the concept, this certainly leads to a commitment to democracy, because it is with it that they are quite close in their views on universal human values. However, the concept of pragmatism denies the existence of eternal values. The meaning of such values ​​can change over time and changes in current perception.

The relationship between thought and action. The concept of pragmatism perceives thought as an integral part of action.

. Pragmatists perceive material world as the only and true one. The human personality is considered the highest value. Man is a social being, and his development is possible only in society. For him, this world is a combination of different elements where the truth can change. So, for example, pragmatism can admit the existence of God if belief in his existence is useful for the development of society in this period time.

Epistemology. Pragmatism views experience as the source of knowledge. A person gains knowledge through activities and ideas through experience. Pragmatists view experimental methods as best way gaining knowledge.

Axiology. Pragmatism does not believe in eternal values. Man himself creates values. Pragmatists view consequences as the basis for choosing all types of values.

PRAGMATIC PERSON or PRAGMATIC PERSON - who is it?

First of all, a pragmatic person is a very purposeful personality. He is able to rationally assess the environment and make informed decisions, which should ultimately benefit him or society ( depends on goals). The pragmatist does not believe in the existence of authorities, and treats any information received with a sense of healthy

Pragmatism is not only about deriving personal benefit from environment and prevailing conditions, but also the ability to set specific life goals, ideas and find rational ways to implement them. Important property pragmatism is the ability to rank your priorities, choose the most important ones and consistently implement them. Pragmatism akin to enterprise, and both of these are often criticized by public morality. “You want a lot, you get little” - a statement that has become almost folk wisdom, but this approach brings up weak-willed and inert people who do not strive for the best. A pragmatic person himself becomes the master of his own destiny; he builds his own system of views and principles to quickly obtain practically useful results. The main law of pragmatism is not to take on the next action until the previous one is completely completed. Only high-quality implementation of each makes it possible to move forward towards the intended goal. To cultivate pragmatic thinking, try to think about your goals and planned activities. Don’t be afraid to discard the non-urgent and unimportant - they only slow you down on the path to success. Learn to make plans even for the distant future: any, even the most fantastic ideas and incredible dreams will do, but they will help you figure out what exactly you want to achieve. To learn to think strategically, write a list of your cherished desires, half-forgotten, unrealized, but still relevant. Then choose one of these ideas and make a plan to implement it.1. What material resources will you need to achieve it?2. What people can help you realize your plans?3. What obstacles will await you on the way to your goal? Consider ways to overcome them.4. What skills do you need to have to make your dreams come true? Thus, you will clearly see practical problem, broken down into smaller steps that you will have to implement sequentially. But remember that according to the “golden” rule of pragmatism, any effort invested must necessarily pay off in appropriate dividends.

Word " relevance“,” “relevant” is heard quite often in various areas of life. Thus, students are asked to indicate relevance their chosen topic thesis, current news is shown on television. Particularly important relevance regarding information that becomes outdated so quickly these days.

Instructions

Relevance - the importance, materiality, topicality of something for the present moment in time. The word itself comes from the Latin actualis - actual, real. Synonyms for relevance include vitality, urgency, importance, timeliness, and modernity. There are such stable ones as “hot topic”, “hot question”, “hot task”, etc. Hot topic always interesting, in demand, touches thoughts and feelings. The actual problem is the one that must be solved first.

If we try to explain the essence as simply as possible of this word, then we can say that for someone who wants to eat, food is relevant, and for someone who is in a hurry to work, the availability of transport is relevant. The concept of relevance is important in the field and production. So, a popular brand is relevant, i.e. corresponding to key motivations and needs target audience. This brand is in demand. IN relevance associated with the concept of constant movement and eternal variability of existence. At the same time relevance reflects the current reality and captures it before that reality changes again.

Word " relevance"is often used in relation to art, any work - a painting, a book, a movie. If the work is relevant, that it responds to current issues and needs of society. It often becomes a part of its era. This is the difference between relevance and fashion: fashion is a whim of society, it goes away as unnoticed as it comes. Current issues- these are the ones that concern people in at the moment on a conscious and subconscious level. On the one side, relevance- obviously temporary. But some works remain relevant for centuries due to the fact that the topics they raise are equally important for people in any era. In such cases, about “passing the test of time.”

From the point of view of the technical side of the procedure, ranking is based on a specific algorithm for assigning ranks to each of the objects that are part of the set under consideration. Thus, the most common algorithm is based on the principle in which an object that has maximum value attribute is assigned the highest rank, and the object with the minimum attribute value is assigned the lowest rank. In this case, the highest rank is considered to be 1, and the lowest is the number corresponding to the number of objects in the analyzed set. So, for example, if height is considered a ranking criterion in a group of 15 boys, then rank 1 will go to the tallest boy with a height of 192 centimeters, and rank 15 will go to the shortest boy with a height of 165 centimeters.

Moreover, if two or more objects are characterized the same values characteristics, they are assigned equal , each of which is equal to the average arithmetic sum considered ranks. For example, ranking by results test work in a group of , you may encounter a situation where one of its members received a grade of 5, one received a grade of 3, and three received a grade of 4. Thus, an excellent student will receive rank 1, a C student will receive rank 5. At the same time, students who received a grade of 4 will be assigned the same rank: it should be calculated as the arithmetic average of the ranks that will be divided between them, namely ranks 2, 3 and 4. Thus, the average rank of these students = (2 + 3 + 4) / 3 = 3.

Ranked Lists

In practice in modern Russia building ranked lists is most actively used educational institutions, which in this way sort applicants wishing to enroll in a given university or other institution. In this case, the ranking criterion is the sum of points that each graduate received in all exams that are mandatory for admission.

Based on this indicator, ranked lists of applicants are built, in which the highest positions are occupied by young people who scored the highest total quantity points, and the lowest are those who scored the fewest points. Based on these lists, which are also sometimes called applicant ratings, admissions are subsequently made.

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 or 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 personal life behind pragmatists it’s 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 don’t hide behind other people’s problems, but everyone controversial issues decide 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 body movements. 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. Reverse side 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.