ABSTRACT
Pragmatism is concerned with how knowledge, ideas, institutions and practices are developed through the creativity of human beings as they struggle to cope with a world which is never fully knowable. Pragmatism offers a non-representational and action-oriented form of realism. Pragmatist social science is inherently critical. As a consequence of its philosophical roots in pragmatist anti-foundationalism and non-Cartesian scepticism, it questions all taken-for-granted ideas about the social world, subjecting all knowledge to the test how well it would stand up' if we based our actions upon it. One is getting to grips with reality' when one learns the ropes of any aspect of social life be it the world of employees relations in a foundry or the world of academic publishing. A pragmatist conception of social science is one of getting to grips intellectually with the social world so that people can act more successfully in the world.
