Pragmatics and Semantics
A variety of contemporary pragmatics theories based on philosophy focus on semantics. Brandom for instance, focuses on the significance of words (albeit from a pragmatic point of view).
Others take a more holistic approach to pragmatics, such as relevance theory, which seeks to understand how an expression is perceived by the listener. This view tends to ignore other aspects of pragmatics, such as epistemic discussions about truth.
What exactly is pragmatism?
Pragmatism is a philosophical approach that provides a different perspective to continental philosophy and analytic philosophy. Charles Sanders Peirce was the first to introduce it, and William James extended it. Later, Josiah Royce developed the philosophy. It had a significant impact on areas of inquiry that ranged from philosophy of science to theology however, it also found a place within the philosophy of ethics, politics, aesthetics, philosophy of language and social theory. The pragmatist tradition continues to grow.
The fundamental premise of classical pragmatism is the pragmatic maxim, which is a guideline to clarify the significance of hypotheses by investigating their 'practical consequences and their implications for experience in specific circumstances. This leads to a distinctive epistemological outlook that is a kind of 'inquiry-based epistemology' and an anti-Cartesian interpretation of the norms that govern inquiry. The early pragmatists largely split over the question of whether pragmatism ought to think of itself as a philosophy of science that adopts a monism about truth (following Peirce), or a broad-based alethic pluralism (James and Dewey).
How to comprehend knowledge is the main concern for pragmatists. Certain pragmatists like Rorty tend to be skeptical of knowledge that rests on a foundation of 'immediate' experiences. Others, like Peirce or James are skeptical of the correspondence theory, which asserts that the most authentic beliefs are those which accurately represent reality.
Pragmatism also examines the connection between beliefs, reality, and human rationality. It also examines the role of values and virtues as well as the meaning and purpose of our lives. Pragmatists have also developed a broad range of theories and methods in fields such as semiotics philosophy of language, philosophy of religion and philosophy of science, ethics and theology. Some, such as Peirce and Royce are epistemological relativists. However, others argue that such relativism is seriously misguided. The latter half of the 20th century saw an increase in interest in classical pragmatics. This led to a number new developments. They include the concept of a "near-side" pragmatics that is concerned with the resolution of ambiguity, indexicals, demonstratives and anaphors as well as an "far-side" pragmatics which looks at the semantics in discourses.
What is the connection between what is said and what happens?
Semantics and Pragmatics can be viewed as being at opposite ends of the continuum. On the near side, semantics is viewed and pragmatics is on the far side. Carston for instance, argues that there are at a minimum three main kinds of pragmatics in the present people who view it as a philosophy along the lines of Grice