实用主义（Pragmatism，派生于希腊词πρᾶγμα（事物、实物））是产生于19世纪70年代美国的现代哲学派别。对法律、政治、教育、社会、宗教和艺术的研究产生了很大的影响。实用主义者拒绝承认思想形容、反映或反射现实的功能。相反，实用主义者认为思想应是一种用以预测、问题解决和行动的工具。实用主义者声称大多数哲学命题--如知识的源泉，语言，理念，意义，信仰，科学等--在他们的实际的应用和成功中能被最好的诠释。应当注意哲学意义上的实用主义与政治意义上的实用主义的却别，后者政治或外交行为主要依据现实利益考量，而非理想主义的理念。

Pragmatism as a philosophical tradition began in the United States around 1870. Charles Sanders Peirce, generally considered to be its founder, later described it in his pragmatic maxim:

Pragmatism rejects the idea that the function of thought is to describe, represent, or mirror reality. Instead, pragmatists consider thought an instrument or tool for prediction, problem solving and action. Pragmatists contend that most philosophical topics—such as the nature of knowledge, language, concepts, meaning, belief, and science—are all best viewed in terms of their practical uses and successes. The philosophy of pragmatism “emphasizes the practical application of ideas by acting on them to actually test them in human experiences”. Pragmatism focuses on a “changing universe rather than an unchanging one as the Idealists, Realists and Thomists had claimed”.