实用主义（Pragmatism），是19世纪70年代美国土壤上产生的一个哲学流派，后成为美国的一种主流思潮。那么，为什么实用主义诞生在美国？

虽然实用主义哲学不能庸俗地更理解，但美国人确实不仅“重商”，而且重视“发明创造”等一切实用的人、物和事，此外，他们的教育也重实用。Oscar Wilde在写于1882年的传世散文《Impressions of America》中说：“In America an inventor is honoured, help is forthcoming, and the exercise of ingenuity, the application of science to the work of man, is there the shortest road to wealth. There is no country in the world where machinery is so lovely as in America.”“The men are entirely to business; they have, as they say, their brains in front of their heads. They are also exceedingly acceptive of new ideas. Their education is practical.”奥斯卡.王尔德作为一个欧洲的著名作家和诗人，他的观察自然是用欧洲人的眼光，当然也是相当敏锐的。