Neopragmatists

Neopragmatism is a late-20th-century revival and revision of American pragmatism. Centered largely on Richard Rorty, it treats philosophy as a tool for social practice and argues that problems arise from how we talk and justify beliefs within communities, not from discoveries of nonmaterial foundations. For neopragmatists, truth is not a mirror of reality but what is useful or acceptable within a given conversation.

Core themes include anti-foundationalism, the primacy of use over representation, and liberal pluralism that favors open-ended conversation over absolute justification. Neopragmatists avoid seeking ultimate epistemic foundations and instead seek ongoing reform of beliefs in light of discourse and social practice.

Key figures besides Rorty include Hilary Putnam and Robert Brandom, among others; the movement also traces to Dewey and Peirce. Neopragmatism has influenced philosophy of language, epistemology, and political theory by foregrounding meaning, justification, and the social character of inquiry.

Reception is mixed: supporters praise its practical orientation and rejection of epistemic privilege; critics accuse it of relativism or of downplaying objective truth and moral criticism.

In relation to classical pragmatism, neopragmatism shares core commitments but is distinguished by its analytic approach and explicit anti-foundational stance, while maintaining a focus on the consequences of belief, disagreement, and the social function of language.