I disagree. I remain fundamentally triadic - and consider that all actions are complex; that is, they function within all three categories. And that is is valid within all of reality - including everyday interactions, and religious behaviour and economic behaviour. My point is only that the Peircean triad functions everywhere - and behaviour consists of chance-emotion [1ns]; mechanical compliance-reactions [2ns] and Mind/Beliefs [3ns]. .
Thank you for the offer of French’s essay but Im not interested. I was put off by his simplistic binaries - of considering that behaviour is Either-Or . Both examples - that of the ideologically bound ’no Self-We are One’ type versus the’ ’There is only the Self vs Others’ are reductionist binaries . Indeed, both are conceptual constructs [Iconic Legisigns??] and don’t exist in reality …which is more complex. A simple example of an Iconic Legisign set in a binary framework would be hmm.. a concept/assertion that All Men are Wise vs that All Men are Idiots…... I don’t see the point in further discussion - so - will end this thread here. Edwina > On Apr 3, 2025, at 3:12 AM, Gary Richmond <[email protected]> wrote: > > Edwina, List, > > Peirce's and French's arguments are neither essentially concerned with > religion nor evolution; and perhaps least of all with economics. Rather, they > present a stark ethical difference: One either principally acts out of a > relatively selfless sense of oneness with one's community or, contrariwise, > primarily out of a selfish desire for wealth and power. > > Perhaps this would become clearer if you read French's essay which I'd be > happy to send you. > > Btw, Trump does indeed have spiritual advisers and they are, in French's and > my opinion, nut jobs, one, for example, offering those who donate to his > 'ministry' the certainty of having "personal angels" as a heavenly reward. > > Best, > > Gary R > > > On Wed, Apr 2, 2025 at 10:20 PM Edwina Taborsky <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> List, Gary >> >> I don’t know anything about President Trump’s ‘religious advisors’[ if he >> even indeed has such] but I think that David French’s article has little >> that is analagous with Peirce’s three modes of evolution -and certainly, >> both evolution and religion have nothing to do with the economic >> infrastructure of a nation. >> >> Both evolution and economics rest, in my view, on pragmatic reality, on >> facts that can be empirically verified. Evolution is a biological reality - >> and all three Peircean methods, in my view, function [ tychastic random >> chance; anancastic mechanical continuity and agapastic networking >> filiation]. The strongest is, agapastic networking since its information >> gathering from all its networks enables functional, constructive adaptation. >> But all three exist... >> >> With regard to economics, these processes include the three bases of >> Investment/Production/Consumption . Even a small agricultural community has >> to avoid using all its products [seeds, animals] in order to plant next >> years crops. >> >> Religious beliefs are pure ideologies - and to contrast, as French has done, >> a religious behaviour that focuses on ‘ a contented middle class life[what >> economic mode enables this? Esther only the middle-class in this society? >> Where does Investment come from?] with ’the prosperity church’ [ what >> economic mode enables this?] is a false Either-Or framework. And cannot, in >> my view,be linked to an economic mode. >> >> Just my immediate reaction… >> >> Edwina Taborsky >> >>> On Apr 2, 2025, at 9:40 PM, Gary Richmond <[email protected] >>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>> >>> List, >>> >>> The lead article in David French's NYT newsletter today, "Trump’s religious >>> advisers have a peculiar view of Christianity." immediately made me think >>> of Peirce's sharp contrast between what he characterized as the Gospel of >>> Greed as fully opposed to the Gospel of Christ (elsewhere referred to by >>> Peirce as the Gospel of Love). Peirce writes (in a long passage regarding >>> what came to be known as "Social Darwinism": >>> >>> Here, then, is the issue. The gospel of Christ [or Love] says that progress >>> comes from every individual merging his individuality in sympathy with his >>> neighbors. On the other side, the conviction of the nineteenth century is >>> that progress takes place by virtue of every individual's striving for >>> himself with all his might and trampling his neighbor under foot whenever >>> he gets a chance to do so. This may accurately be called the Gospel of >>> Greed. CP 6.294 >>> >>> >>> A brief excerpt from French's piece can perhaps serve as a kind of summary >>> of it, although an appreciation of the full depth and breadth of his >>> argumentation requires, I think, a reading of it in its entirety. >>> Ordinarily, at this point I would put a link to the article, but it's a >>> "subscribers' only" piece so I can't. (If the url I've placed at the bottom >>> of this message doesn't work and you'd like to read French's article, email >>> me off-List and I'll forward it to you.) >>> >>> While other traditions may respect the quiet, humble pastor who loves and >>> serves his community from, say, a modest parsonage or lives a contented, >>> middle-class life, the pastor of the prosperity church glories in his >>> wealth and power. >>> >>> In fact, these pastors often teach that the most concrete way you can >>> manifest your own faith and thus receive God’s blessing is by giving >>> ever-greater amounts to the pastor’s ministry. You demonstrate your faith >>> by sacrificing to enrich your pastor. >>> >>> Traditional Christians are used to giving money to help the poor and to >>> keep the lights on at church. Christians who follow the prosperity gospel >>> give money for the pastor’s mansion, and — in extreme cases — the pastor’s >>> jet >>> <https://nl.nytimes.com/f/a/qdgUUXu9jfrcBXkYZy9afA~~/AAAAARA~/YePAwH1qCDz4-skI2Gy3Hpg6b4mZQ6ulvy2EfBLmgYXHgxjcnrnFzcobr41yVCOTxocs2OqJKRSF1gu7LbN4sGIYx234QcW7jfFocI6hyl6Xx7BUi8TmihRRH0Bve0JRWUcxpxgG5b_4Ck0xq7Azfl5Gckg1VYrsESSYZ4fX_ZSRJfVdnEGh26IAodU_i3mMjvwqz55_mVBxNkrTF-v2U3JsuVZ9YgRgMwivhBzBreGNRanfimiQsnIxxL4b5QxSfobGMaSpGQ1feb7oYfeUfoHOz7Ff5xDGD1JL2oYJoFhKezM8k657nowGZc4uI7mT-Y-4ovoHu1mwKUOuxkTv_BvBvgFEzjjHM4rWibvDlMQQpsrTlTmgupZupLsVMPk6WasIBasgvMRWh58wlr764pRON3V-lgm7OK1IyMRku7kuAHAroxZaHYUD6h_VqmSv>. >>> >>> But here’s where things get truly strange. These congregations don’t love >>> the pastor in spite of his obvious exploitation. They give to him or her >>> enthusiastically, inspired by the pastor’s wealth, hoping that by providing >>> him or her their absolute devotion (including their financial resources) >>> they, too, will one day enjoy the same wealth and power. >>> >>> Think of it as a kind of investment strategy — pastors promise believers >>> that they’ll receive a “hundredfold” return on their gifts (twisting a >>> passage in the Gospel of Mark >>> <https://nl.nytimes.com/f/a/zC-8ildg2Qw8sxw-5Ew0Zw~~/AAAAARA~/-iN_xZjuxd0QP4s5G38UdSMcMUCkoU-TZGMUtN9xZXpwnGYN2c1xPUaUzCNL2fsItKUZ-Oyfk1U-zSVA-fyTB7zy4ypJ9fpMmlDj5GUOQirDQJNyeBiOohE-zZujatqHhTtBoZBs4rx6_WkMSpQAPyxPNWtlhobQl2Bp-AijKkRmmLb4sBB0-reUmtcZHQFtr1eVdlo9UmE5go4C1TTeP0bfcQHy7NZmRg1lFFVGvqsNsWGhXJ_s33AcNtEYlOlIZyRBdcoz1ymVJu23JMUxg_seKO5YVph6mUPqaGg1FrnWBum4Y04vBcZCcovssSuPHOf9iqYmFGFW2wRpZzoa6dYU_OZvQIepQw7PyXSrnZI~>). >>> >>> In his article, French argues that the contrast between what he calls >>> "humble Christians" and their megachurch counterparts has never been >>> clearer. In his view authentic Christians (and, in my view, true humanists >>> of all stripes and sects, religious or not) are guided by humility and >>> selflessness, live to some large extent to serve others, and prioritize >>> love in the form of faith, charity, and at least the hope of community. >>> Meanwhile, major megachurch figures embody a brand of (again in my view) >>> pseudo- or even anti-Christianity that glorifies wealth, power, and >>> personal gain; they offer "blessings" (material ones, like eventual great >>> wealth, but also bizarre "spiritual" ones, like personal 'angels' as >>> discussed in the article) in exchange for hefty donations. >>> >>> The prosperity gospel they preach distorts faith into a transactional >>> system where believers are encouraged to enrich their pastors in hopes of >>> "divine favor." Unlike the humble pastor who dedicates his life to service, >>> these leaders revel in material excess (see the link above of the >>> mega-pastor with a fleet of jets), mirroring the values of the political >>> figures they endorse. The rise of independent charismatic churches -- led >>> by self-appointed, unchecked leaders -- further deepens this, in my view, >>> tragic distortion, promoting a worldview where power and wealth signal >>> divine approval. >>> >>> So while historically the true "heart" of Christianity (and Buddhism, >>> Hinduism, Islam, etc. and non-religious humanism of all stripes) has >>> emphasized humility, sacrifice, and concern for the poor, this perverse new >>> "theology" celebrates dominance, prosperity, and even a dangerous, >>> quasi-messianic view of political figures like Donald Trump. So French >>> counsels that, just as Martin Luther once nailed his 95 Theses in protest >>> of indulgences, today’s humble Christians especially (but also all truly >>> human-centered folk) must challenge the corruption that has infiltrated >>> their faith, thus rejecting the Gospel of Greed and returning to a Gospel >>> of Love and Grace. >>> >>> David French's article >>> https://messaging-custom-newsletters.nytimes.com/dynamic/render?campaign_id=292&emc=edit_df_20250402&instance_id=151659&isViewInBrowser=true&nl=david-french&productCode=DF®i_id=68716072&segment_id=195096&sendId=195096&uri=nyt://newsletter/bbcb3660-d70a-598d-94c4-00d89fd25ad8&user_id=b1422b225dd9c2c469ac06c116c9fb08 >>> >>> Best, >>> >>> Gary R >>> _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ >>> ARISBE: THE PEIRCE GATEWAY is now at >>> https://cspeirce.com <https://cspeirce.com/> and, just as well, at >>> https://www.cspeirce.com <https://www.cspeirce.com/> . It'll take a while >>> to repair / update all the links! >>> ► PEIRCE-L subscribers: Click on "Reply List" or "Reply All" to REPLY ON >>> PEIRCE-L to this message. PEIRCE-L posts should go to [email protected] >>> <mailto:[email protected]> . >>> ► To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message NOT to PEIRCE-L but to [email protected] >>> <mailto:[email protected]> with UNSUBSCRIBE PEIRCE-L in the SUBJECT LINE of >>> the message and nothing in the body. More at >>> https://list.iu.edu/sympa/help/user-signoff.html . >>> ► PEIRCE-L is owned by THE PEIRCE GROUP; moderated by Gary Richmond; and >>> co-managed by him and Ben Udell. >>
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ARISBE: THE PEIRCE GATEWAY is now at https://cspeirce.com and, just as well, at https://www.cspeirce.com . It'll take a while to repair / update all the links! ► PEIRCE-L subscribers: Click on "Reply List" or "Reply All" to REPLY ON PEIRCE-L to this message. PEIRCE-L posts should go to [email protected] . ► To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message NOT to PEIRCE-L but to [email protected] with UNSUBSCRIBE PEIRCE-L in the SUBJECT LINE of the message and nothing in the body. More at https://list.iu.edu/sympa/help/user-signoff.html . ► PEIRCE-L is owned by THE PEIRCE GROUP; moderated by Gary Richmond; and co-managed by him and Ben Udell.
