Dear list,
Given that: Nothing is complete (teleion) which has no end (telos); and the end is a limit. And the final and definitive concept cannot stand at the beginning of the investigation, but must come at the end. We must, in other words, work out in the course of the discussion, as its most important result, the best conceptual formulation of what we here understand by completeness that is the best from the point of view which interests us here, Then it is impossible that Peirce completed anything at all, for the end comes at the end. We are not at the end. On the other hand, it is also said that if Einstein had lived in the twelfth century, he would have had very little chance to become a good scientist. I suppose this all makes it impossible for us to think that Peirce did not know how to step away from a problem when it was deemed adequate. Otherwise, he would have left us with a better conception of what Complete Sign or Absolute Horizon is. I mean, did he not claim to be a perfect ignoramus in esthetics? With best wishes, Jerry R On Mon, Mar 25, 2019 at 12:08 PM Jon Alan Schmidt <[email protected]> wrote: > Stephen R., List: > > I agree with you in the sense that nothing Peirce authored--whether > published or (especially) in handwritten manuscripts--is properly > characterized as "complete." > > The Harvard website for the Peirce Papers has a link to an interesting > 1997 book chapter by Mary Keeler and Christian Kloesel, "Communication, > Semiotic Continuity, and the Margins of the Peircean Text" ( > http://conceptualgraphs.org/revelator/web/papers/keelermargins1997.pdf). > They go so far as to say that for Peirce, "the usual distinction between > draft versions of a paper and the final version (if there is one) is all > but useless ... he would not have called a single one of his writings > 'finished,' 'definitive,' or 'final.'" That is obviously problematic for > anyone like me who has a strong "regularizing" tendency, as Gary F. has > helpfully (and accurately) described it. > > They also include a quote from Peirce's Carnegie Institution application > with which I strongly identify--"What has chiefly prevented my publishing > much has been, first, that my desire to teach has not been so strong as my > desire to learn ..." *Writing* was an integral aspect of Peirce's *thinking > *and *learning *process, as it is of mine; communicating ideas to others > was a secondary objective. After all ... > > CSP: A psychologist cuts out a lobe of my brain ... and then, when I find > I cannot express myself, he says, "You see your faculty of language was > localized in that lobe." No doubt it was; and so, if he had filched my > inkstand, I should not have been able to continue my discussion until I had > got another. Yea, the very thoughts would not come to me. So my faculty of > discussion is equally localized in my inkstand. It is localization in a > sense in which a thing may be in two places at once. On the theory that the > distinction between psychical and physical phenomena is the distinction > between final and efficient causation, it is plain enough that the inkstand > and the brain-lobe have the same general relation to the functions of the > mind. (CP 7.366; 1902) > > > Likewise the computer keyboard, in my case; and of course, a Sign is > precisely the kind of thing that "may be in two places at once," as two > different Instances. > > Regards, > > Jon Alan Schmidt - Olathe, Kansas, USA > Professional Engineer, Amateur Philosopher, Lutheran Layman > www.LinkedIn.com/in/JonAlanSchmidt - twitter.com/JonAlanSchmidt > > On Mon, Mar 25, 2019 at 11:36 AM Stephen Curtiss Rose <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> I feel the notion Peirce had a complete philosophy is unfair to him and >> as a characterization, any more than Nietzsche or Wittgenstein could be >> said to have such a philosophy. Aside from the fact that completeness is >> impossible, I explicitly sense that Peirce developed what might be perfect >> control and understanding and knowing to his personal satisfaction I more >> and more sense that his philosophy is bifurcated both by his interpreters >> and by himself. There is not much point in going on as my posts here are >> not exactly dialog creators. I think that is actually one way of >> understanding him, ironic but perhaps the case. Best, S >> amazon.com/author/stephenrose >> >>>
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