But ultimately, the pragmaticist may do well to remain agnostic, whatever semantic theory is assumed for working purposes.

Peirce's pragmaticist philosophy also included an extensive theory of mental representations and cognition, which he studied under the name of semiotics.

(Which was not to Peirce's taste - he came to complain that James had "kidnapped" the term and eventually to call himself a "pragmaticist" instead).

Being a pragmaticist, however, he still encourages "it will be of Use to a prudent Scholar, who is desirous to be expert in both Manners."

Apart from the fact that it avoids the above dilemmas, by claiming only the narrowest scope for semantics, such a theory recommends itself to the pragmaticist for the following reasons.

Any such scheme, though, is of dubious utility to the pragmaticist in search of functional principles the categories are of vague application, they do not have direct empirical motivation, and there are many other rival schemes built upon slightly different lines.