fredericks

(courtesy of Merriam-Webster Online)
Main Entry: prag·ma·tism
Pronunciation: 'prag-m&-"ti-z&m
Function: noun
Date: circa 1864
1 : a practical approach to problems and affairs
2 : an American movement in philosophy founded by C. S. Peirce and William James and marked by the doctrines that the meaning of conceptions is to be sought in their practical bearings, that the function of thought is to guide action, and that truth is preeminently to be tested by the practical consequences of belief
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Main Entry: ide·al·ism
Pronunciation: I-'dE-(&-)"liz-&m, 'I-(")dE-
Function: noun
Date: 1796
1 a (1) : a theory that ultimate reality lies in a realm transcending phenomena (2) : a theory that the essential nature of reality lies in consciousness or reason b (1) : a theory that only the perceptible is real (2) : a theory that only mental states or entities are knowable
2 a : the practice of forming ideals or living under their influence b : something that is idealized
3 : literary or artistic theory or practice that affirms the preeminent value of imagination as compared with faithful copying of nature -- compare REALISM

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*sigh*