Pragmatics as a Research Area

Limits, Categories, and Methodological Possibilities

Abstract

This article proposes a reflection on pragmatics as a scientific research field, discussing its conceptual, methodological, and epistemological boundaries. Based on a theoretical-argumentative review, we problematize the field's indefinition, marked by the multiplicity of study objects, theoretical approaches, and methodological choices. We argue that pragmatics is not merely the study of language use in context but constitutes a science of use, grounded in the analysis of situated and socially oriented linguistic practices. As a theoretical-methodological contribution, we propose a model of pragmatic categories inspired by Aristotelian philosophical categories — speaker, context, utterance, enunciation, and uptake — aiming to offer systematic tools for analyzing pragmatic phenomena. The model is exemplified through the analysis of responses to compliments, demonstrating its applicability and potential to organize analytical procedures in the field. Moreover, this article seeks to contribute to the training of new researchers in pragmatics, especially those who, at the beginning of their academic journey, encounter the field's inherent uncertainties and challenges. In this sense, we emphasize the importance of a reflective stance, methodological adequacy to the research object, and the value of empirical observation. Finally, we suggest that future investigations may expand and test the proposed categorical model by applying it to different phenomena and interactional contexts. Thus, we hope to strengthen pragmatics as a consolidated and plural area within the language sciences.