Edwina, Thanks for your reply. I agree that you and I need not discuss this further.
Best, Gary On Thu, Apr 3, 2025 at 10:16 AM Edwina Taborsky <[email protected]> wrote: > 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]> > 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]> >> 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 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. >> >> >> >
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 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.
