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Having gotten a better handle on Peirce's concept of a Quasi-mind, we can now make another attempt at sorting out what he meant by "perfect sign" in EP 2:545n25. Here is a summary of what that text tells us about it. - It is the aggregate formed by a Sign and all the Signs that its occurrence carries with it, and involves the present existence of no other Sign except those that are its ingredients. - It is not in a statical condition, because it is an existent that acts; and whatever acts, changes. - Its every real ingredient is aging, its energy of action upon the Interpretant is running low, its sharp edges are wearing down, and its outlines are becoming more indefinite. - It is perpetually being acted upon by its Object, receiving from it the accretions of new Signs that bring it fresh energy and kindle the energy that it already had, but which had lain dormant. - It constantly undergoes spontaneous changes that do not happen by its will, but are phenomena of growth. - It is a Quasi-mind and the Sheet of Assertion of Existential Graphs. The Perfect Sign involves the *present *existence (2ns) of *only* those Signs that comprise it, which are aging and wearing down; yet it continues receiving accretions of *new *Signs (3ns) from its Object and undergoing *spontaneous *changes (1ns). After further contemplation, I now believe that Peirce was describing *the same thing* here as in the passage about "the ideal sign" that I have mentioned previously, which he wrote a couple of years earlier. CSP: What we call a "fact" is something having the structure of a proposition, but supposed to be an element of the very universe itself. The purpose of every sign is to express "fact," and by being joined with other signs, to approach as nearly as possible to determining an interpretant which would be the *perfect Truth*, the absolute Truth, and as such (at least, we may use this language) would be the very Universe. Aristotle gropes for a conception of perfection, or *entelechy*, which he never succeeds in making clear. We may adopt the word to mean the very fact, that is, the ideal sign which should be quite perfect, and so identical,--in such identity as a sign may have,--with the very matter denoted united with the very form signified by it. The entelechy of the Universe of being, then, the Universe *qua *fact, will be that Universe in its aspect as a sign, the "Truth" of being. The "Truth," the fact that is not abstracted but complete, is the ultimate interpretant of every sign. (EP 2:304; 1904) Contrary to my previous hypothesis, "Perfect Sign" is *not* synonymous with "Quasi-mind"; instead, it designates the Truth that corresponds to the Universe. As such, it also satisfies the last bullet above, since the Sheet of Assertion or Phemic Sheet is not only a Quasi-mind, but also "a Seme of *The Truth*, that is, of the widest Universe of Reality" (CP 4.553; 1906). Of course, this does not at all entail that a Quasi-mind and the Universe are the same thing. CSP: … one and the same construction may be, when regarded in two different ways, two altogether different diagrams; and that to which it testifies in the one capacity, it must not be considered as testifying to in the other capacity. For example, the Entire Existential Graph of a Phemic Sheet, in any state of it, is a Diagram of the logical Universe, as it is also a Diagram of a Quasi-mind; but it must not, on *that* account, be considered as testifying to the identity of those two. It is like a telescope eye piece which at one focus exhibits a star at which the instrument is pointed, and at another exhibits all the faults of the objective lens. (NEM 4:324; 1906) Any comments? I am guessing that these topics must simply not be of much interest, or people are just very busy these days, since I find it hard to believe that everyone agrees with everything I have been posting. :-) Regards, Jon Alan Schmidt - Olathe, Kansas, USA Professional Engineer, Amateur Philosopher, Lutheran Layman www.LinkedIn.com/in/JonAlanSchmidt - twitter.com/JonAlanSchmidt
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