Pragmatism: Current and future influence on occupational therapy and occupational science

This chapter presents a review and discussion of pragmatism’s philosophical foundations, including the current and possible future influences on occupational therapy and occupational science. The chapter begins with an introduction to how philosophy can influence professional practice and research approaches, followed by a description of pragmatism as a philosophical and theoretical position and a description of relevant philosophers within pragmatism. The chapter further contains a presentation of how and in what ways pragmatism as philosophy and theoretical frame has affected both occupational therapy and occupational science until now, including a presentation of relevant concepts used. The chapter ends with a presentation and discussion of the use of a pragmatic temperament within occupational therapy practice and occupational science, and how this may foster a moral commitment to critically understand and deal with inequalities of life, generating action toward emancipatory ends.