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Overview: Pragmatism is a philosophical tradition that considers thought to be a tool for prediction, problem-solving and action, and truth to be a process involving both practical experience and the eventual consensus of the community. Applications: Informing public administration, education policy, and the philosophy of science.

Overview: Phenomenalism is the view that physical objects do not exist as things in themselves but only as perceptual phenomena or sensory stimuli situated in time and space. Applications: Has implications in the philosophy of science and epistemology, impacting discussions of material existence and perception.

Overview: Hermeneutics involves the theory and methodology of interpretation, especially of biblical or literary texts. It is also applied to interpreting laws and social phenomena. Applications: Used in literary theory, theology, and legal studies.

Overview: Deconstruction is a strategy for critical analysis of texts that seeks to expose and undermine the assumptions, principles, and ideologies that underlie textual content. Applications: Applied in literary criticism, political theory, and legal studies.

Overview: Critical theory is a social theory aimed at critiquing and changing society as a whole, in contrast to traditional theory aimed only at understanding or explaining it. Applications: Applied in cultural studies, social work, and political activism.

Overview: Logic is the study of the principles of correct reasoning. It especially involves the evaluation of arguments, the study of inference and fallacies, and the use of symbols and abstraction. Applications: Utilized in computer science, mathematical reasoning, law, and philosophical argumentation.

Overview: Utilitarianism is an ethical philosophy which proposes that the best action is the one that maximizes utility, usually defined as that which produces the greatest well-being of the greatest number of people. Applications: Impacts debates in bioethics, political philosophy, and law.

Overview: Dialectical materialism is a philosophy of science and nature developed in Europe and based on the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It adapts the Hegelian dialectic into traditional materialism. Applications: Foundational concept in Marxist philosophy and critical social theory.

Overview: Ethical relativism is the theory that holds that morality is relative to the norms of one's culture. It posits that there are no universal moral truths, and that what is morally right or wrong varies from one person, culture, or society to another. Applications: Discussed in cultural studies, anthropology, and ethical debates.

Overview: Phenomenology is the study of structures of consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view. Its applications include offering insights into the human experience and providing a qualitative approach to understanding social phenomena. Applications: Used in psychology, sociology, and studies of consciousness.

Overview: Structuralism is a methodology that implies elements of human culture must be understood by way of their relationship to a larger, overarching system or structure, and it works to uncover the structures that underlie all the things that humans do, think, perceive, and feel. Applications: Influential in anthropology, linguistics, and psychology.

Overview: Postmodernism is a broad movement that developed in the mid- to late 20th century across philosophy, the arts, architecture, and criticism, that marked a departure from modernism. It includes skepticism towards grand narratives and ideologies. Applications: Impacted architectural design, arts, critical theory, and literary analysis.

Overview: Rationalism is a philosophical approach asserting that reason and logical deduction using certain axioms or principles are the primary sources of knowledge and truth. Applications: Informs mathematics, ethics, and epistemology.

Overview: Virtue ethics is a normative ethical theory that emphasizes virtues of mind, character, and sense of honesty, rather than duties or rules (deontology) or consequentialism. Applications: Used in personal decision-making, education, and in discussions of character formation.

Overview: Epistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with the theory of knowledge, examining the nature, sources, limits, and validity of knowledge. Applications: Underlies methodologies in all disciplines, informing issues of method, analysis, and validity.

Overview: Logical positivism is a philosophical approach that advocates for the verification principle, stating that only statements verifiable through empirical observation or logical proof are meaningful. Applications: Influenced the development of analytic philosophy and the scientific method.

Overview: Empiricism is a theory of knowledge asserting that knowledge arises from sensory experiences and evidence gathered from the senses is the only source of knowledge. Applications: Foundation of the scientific method and natural sciences.

Overview: Post-structuralism is a response to structuralism and works to deconstruct the structuralist understanding that language reflects or represents a reality outside of itself. Applications: Has influenced a variety of disciplines, including literary theory, sociology, and philosophy.

Overview: Natural law refers to the use of reason to analyze human nature and deduce binding rules of moral behavior from nature's or God's creation of reality and humanity. Applications: Influences legal theory, human rights discourse, and political philosophy.

Overview: Feminist philosophy explores topics related to gender, sexuality, and feminist theory, including the critique of inequality and exploration of identity. Applications: Influences gender studies, ethics, epistemology, and political theory.

Overview: Analytic philosophy is characterized by an emphasis on clarity, precision in arguments, attention to detail, and the use of formal logic. Applications: Predominantly found in contemporary Anglophone philosophy, used in philosophy of language and in philosophical analyses of concepts.

Overview: Existentialism is a philosophical theory emphasizing individual freedom, choice, and subjective experience. It posits that individuals are responsible for imparting meaning to their lives. Applications: Influential in literature, psychology, and theology.

Overview: Continental philosophy is a set of 19th- and 20th-century philosophical traditions from mainland Europe, with broad interests in subjectivity, culture, history, and society. Applications: Influences literature, psychology, politics, and sociology.