Semantics and Pragmatics

Abstract

We use language in order to achieve a wide variety of ends. To a good first approximation, pragmatics is the study of the things we do in, or by, using language, together with the facts, knowledge, and abilities that we exploit in order to do those things. Correlatively, pragmatic phenomena are all and only the phenomena that are studied in doing pragmatics. In using bits of language in order to achieve our ends, we rely on various facts about those bits of language, together with knowledge and abilities relating to those facts. For one prominent example, we exploit facts about the meanings of the words that we use, and facts about the meanings of sentences that depend upon the combination of words in them given those words’ meanings. To a good first approximation, semantics is the study of facts about the meanings of words and sentences, about the dependence of sentence meaning on combinations of word meanings, and about our knowledge and abilities relating to those facts. Correlatively, semantic phenomena are all and only those phenomena studied in doing semantics. There is no obvious reason, in advance of further inquiry, to suppose that no phenomena fall within the remits of both semantics and pragmatics, and some reason to think that many phenomena fall within both. For example, it is natural to assume that speakers’ knowledge of meaning will figure in shaping their use of language, and in the reception of that use. And many philosophers have held that the use of language plays a constitutive role in determining the standing meanings of the words that are so used. However, some theorists appeal to a more restrictive conception of pragmatics—roughly, pragmatics minus semantics—and thereby to force a sort of partition. Nothing turns on this. (The label “pragmatics” derives from the Greek root “pragma”, meaning deed. The earliest relevant occurrence in the Oxford English Dictionary, for the study of practical aspects of human action and thought is the 1693 title of a book by E. Settle, The new Athenian comedy containing the politicks, oeconomicks, theologicks, poeticks, mathematicks, sophisticks, pragmaticks, dogmaticks, &c. of that most learned society.