Dear Jerry.
It reads to me as another from Peirce’s foundries for pressing his exacting temperament when we establish agreement and “rational approval.’ This is not an unconscious effort; this mathematical and logical effort demands attention to know the reasoning (usually necessary reasoning for Peirce) – 2.183 from the chapter - §8. REASONING AND CONSCIOUSNESS Peirce’s abduction example in the quote shows that abduction does not yield certainty, and serves as a hypothesis about a case, a human and conscious creative component and mental process, “the operation of adopting an explanatory hypothesis.” I don’t think there is any inconsistency in Peirce’s expression here. Atila On Tue, Sep 23, 2025 at 3:44 PM Jerry Rhee <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear JAS, Atila, list, > > > JAS said: > > *It again says nothing about "the theory of signs," "Germans and their > American followers," or "going to sleep.”* > > > To be fair, JAS, neither did *you* say anything about *sleep*. > > Would you mind presenting a few selections from Peirce on what *you* > think is significant about what Peirce said about ‘sleep’, please? > > > For instance, in CP 2.183, Peirce says something along the lines of > “Reason is but choosing”: > > > *This does not imply that we must be aware of the whole process of the > mind in reasoning or, indeed, of any portion of it. It is very desirable to > have a clear apprehension of this distinction. We are, so to speak, > responsible for the correctness of our reasonings. That is to say, unless > we deliberately approve of them as rational, they cannot properly be called > reasonings. But for this purpose, all that is necessary is that we should, > in each case, compare premisses and conclusion, and observe that the > relation between the facts expressed in the premisses involves the relation > between facts implied in our confidence in the conclusion. What we call a > reasoning is something upon which we place a stamp of rational approval. In > order to do that, we must know what the reasoning is. In that sense, it > must be a conscious act, just as a man is not bound by a contract if it can > be proved that he signed it in his sleep. It must be his conscious act and > deed. * > > > CP 7.573 .. *When you sleep, you are not so largely asleep as you fancy > that you be. * > > > Thank you and, sincerely yours, > > jerry r > > On Mon, Sep 22, 2025 at 10:17 PM Atila Bayat <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Jon, list >> >> When Peirce says that metaphysics is not to be settled by “drawing a few >> definitions and then going to sleep,” he means: don’t build a closed system >> out of words; use exact logic, testable consequences, and continuous >> reasoning instead. I interpreted the passage as a critique of German >> idealism, and in sharp contrast he proposes his guides in contrast as >> follows; >> >> (German Idealism): A linear one-step deduction — start with >> concepts/definitions, deduce a closed system, no empirical testing. >> >> (Peirce): A self-correcting cycle — abduction → deduction → induction → >> back again, open-ended and fallible. >> >> German Idealism: Seeks certainty and closure by definitions and >> dialectical deduction. >> >> Peirce: Seeks fallible but self-correcting knowledge by combining >> abduction, deduction, and induction in an open-ended inquiry. >> >> Atila >> >> >> >> >> >> On Mon, Sep 22, 2025 at 10:33 PM Jon Alan Schmidt < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Atila, List: >>> >>> It is not a quotation from CP 5.423, but perhaps a loose paraphrase of >>> it. Peirce states there that the doctrine of pragmatism "will serve to show >>> that almost every proposition of ontological metaphysics is either >>> meaningless gibberish--one word being defined by other words, and they by >>> still others, without any real conception ever being reached--or else is >>> downright absurd; so that all such rubbish being swept away, what will >>> remain of philosophy will be a series of problems capable of investigation >>> by the observational methods of the true sciences ..." It again says >>> nothing about "the theory of signs," "Germans and their American >>> followers," or "going to sleep." >>> >>> Regards, >>> >>> Jon Alan Schmidt - Olathe, Kansas, USA >>> Structural Engineer, Synechist Philosopher, Lutheran Christian >>> www.LinkedIn.com/in/JonAlanSchmidt / twitter.com/JonAlanSchmidt >>> >>> On Mon, Sep 22, 2025 at 8:40 PM Atila Bayat <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Jerry, >>>> >>>> Actually, I read that passage and it is from CP 5.423, 1905, and a >>>> disparaging reference to 'German and their American followers' asleep doing >>>> armchair metaphysics, rather than scientific metaphysics, as an inquiry >>>> guided by the scientific spirit of reasoning and experience. >>>> >>>> Your CP 5.189 is on abduction, a wonderful subject by itself. Run your >>>> prompt again. >>>> >>>> Atila >>>> >>> _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ >>> ► 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] . >>> ► <a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=SIG%20peirce-l";>UNSUBSCRIBE >>> FROM PEIRCE-L</a> . But, if your subscribed email account is not your >>> default email account, then go to >>> https://list.iu.edu/sympa/signoff/peirce-l . >>> ► PEIRCE-L is owned by THE PEIRCE GROUP; moderated by Gary Richmond; >>> and co-managed by him and Ben Udell. >> >> _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ >> ► 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] . >> ► <a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=SIG%20peirce-l";>UNSUBSCRIBE >> FROM PEIRCE-L</a> . But, if your subscribed email account is not your >> default email account, then go to >> https://list.iu.edu/sympa/signoff/peirce-l . >> ► PEIRCE-L is owned by THE PEIRCE GROUP; moderated by Gary Richmond; >> and co-managed by him and Ben Udell. > >
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