While its applications have made quantum theory arguably the most successful
theory in physics, its interpretation continues to be the subject of lively
debate within the community of physicists and philosophers concerned with
conceptual foundations. This situation poses a problem for a pragmatist for
whom meaning derives from use. While disputes about how to use quantum theory
have arisen from time to time, they have typically been quickly resolved, and
consensus reached, within the relevant scientific sub-community. Yet rival
accounts of the meaning of quantum theory continue to proliferate . In this
article I offer a diagnosis of this situation and outline a pragmatist solution
to the problem it poses, leaving further details for subsequent articles
