Thanks, Gary. I too wrestle with some proposed mappings of Peirce's trichotomy, especially where secondness falls.
In particular, I suspect that in theories of value, we still don't appreciate secondness, despite its centrality to action as such. If aesthetic appreciation is appropriate to firsts, and "goodness" is its hallmark value, and logical appreciation is due to thirds, where "right" is the hallmark value, we need a way of speaking of the hallmark value of secondness. I've been calling it "aptness," lining it up with a sense of depth, engagement, responsive encounter, and so on. The present/past/future trichotomy doesn't map well this way, but presence/occurrence/time does, or perhaps presence/occurrence/endurance? For the good is manifest only in what is present; occurrences or encounters can be more or less apt or engaging (though I realize engagement opens out toward thirdness); and the right attaches only to the enduring. (All off the cuff, and open to nudges!) -Elise Springer Philosophy Dept & College of the Environment Wesleyan University, Middletown CT On Mar 14, 2012, at 1:13 PM, Gary Fuhrman wrote: Diane, i think i understand where the idea of Second as “past” is coming from, but i don’t much care for it. The presence of Firstness is its spontaneity, but Secondness has a kind of actual ‘in-your-face’ presence too. The force of actuality makes things and events definite and determinate, and that’s what connects it with the past (while the future is indeterminate and the present instant doesn’t exist). But if i were making a chart like that i would put it like this: First - presence Second - occurrence Third - time Gary F. From: C S Peirce discussion list [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Diane Stephens Sent: March-14-12 11:57 AM To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Subject: [peirce-l] a question In the book Semiotics I by Donald Thomas, he includes a chart which shows concepts associated with firsts, seconds and thirds. For example, a first is quality, a second is fact and a third is law. I understand all but second as past as in: First - present Second - past Third - future I would appreciate some help. Thanks . --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You are receiving this message because you are subscribed to the PEIRCE-L listserv. To remove yourself from this list, send a message to [email protected] with the line "SIGNOFF PEIRCE-L" in the body of the message. To post a message to the list, send it to [email protected]
