First: someone needs to fix the "reply-to" on the list so that replies are directed to it and not the author.
-- Dr. Steven Ericsson-Zenith Institute for Advanced Science & Engineering http://iase.info On Mar 20, 2012, at 10:08 AM, Kenneth Ketner wrote: > Steven and group: I had the same suspicion about the importance of family > life in CSP's formative years, and I was able to find quite a bit about it, > and show it in HIS GLASSY ESSENCE (available in the web used book sites, such > as ADDALL) which is a life of Peirce through about 1867. > > Yes, James Peirce was indeed gay -- evidence is now clear (see HGE); the > family accepted it; JP and Symonds were closely connected; JP had a career at > Harvard despite it being known that he was gay. > > Ben Peirce had a long relationship with the "Queen of Science," well > documented in HGE, including her hitherto unseen photograph; the Queen had an > influence on Charley. Other family members likewise influenced him -- Admiral > Davis; the lady who gave him a copy of Schiller's Aesthetische Breife; his > brother James who gave him a copy of Whatley's Logic, and his aunt with whom > he learned German and read Kant; a cousin who was a playmate. And of course > his father, of whom he later said (paraphrase) If I amount to something it > will be because of him, for he trained me. In particular, Ben's Ideality > book was a strong influence as was Ben's talk on Genesis (in HGE). Ben's > death in 1880 was particularly devastating, because Charley and Ben were a > definite team in science and in life. Much more could be said. > > That is to state, you are definitely on the right track in looking at family > for influence on Peirce's formative years, and for understanding some of his > later ideas and accomplishments. > > On 20/03/2012 01:54, Steven Ericsson-Zenith wrote: >> Dear List, >> >> I have an increasing interest in Benjamin Peirce and his son James, Charles' >> elder brother. I am curious about Charles' relationship with his brother, >> who continued his father's work teaching mathematics at Harvard. I wonder >> about the relationship for a number of reasons, but it is primarily to fill >> in the gaps for me concerning Charles Peirce's intellectual life and the >> familial/social climate of the time. >> >> There is a strong indication in the literature that James was gay and >> potentially the author (Prof X) of a particularly powerful and interesting >> (in the sense of advanced and well-considered thinking) piece on the virtues >> of homosexuality (or at least the reasons why there should be no objection >> to it), and I note no disapproval or criticism of this by Charles or his >> father. Given Charles' hardships later in life I also wonder whether James >> (his brother) provided Charles with aid or property. And given the liberal >> nature of the family I wonder about their view of Charles' later marriage. >> >> I continue to see the roots of many of Charles' ideas in the work of his >> father, although their vocabulary and ways of speaking differ. Benjamin's >> "Ideality In The Physical Sciences" is an especially interesting read and I >> find myself revising my initial views concerning Charles' religious >> background, that I have previously considered naive from his own writings. >> Benjamin Peirce has an especially sophisticated sensibility for traditional >> religious concerns (Kierkegaardian almost) and the relationship with >> science, and he speaks eloquently about it. His view is certainly suggestive >> of Charles' "unconsidered argument" and in many ways his view is more >> sophisticated. Certainly his conception of "God" is not the anthropomorphic >> conception and it is compatible with Charles' view in that I would not >> expect Benjamin to object to the "unconsidered argument." I am trying to >> decipher Benjamin's views on what I will call "universal will." >> >> As the picture becomes more fleshed out, the family of Benjamin Peirce as a >> whole and Charles' "place" within it, leads me to expect that a fuller >> understanding of this family, and its combined intellectual life, is >> necessary for an understanding of Charles and his work. >> >> Does anyone have pointers for me or suggestions about where I can find more >> help with this? >> >> With respect, >> Steven >> >> >> -- >> Dr. Steven Ericsson-Zenith >> Institute for Advanced Science& Engineering >> http://iase.info >> >> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> You are receiving this message because you are subscribed to the PEIRCE-L >> listserv. To remove yourself from this list, send a message to >> lists...@listserv.iupui.edu with the line "SIGNOFF PEIRCE-L" in the body of >> the message. To post a message to the list, send it to >> PEIRCE-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU >> . >> > > -- > Kenneth Laine Ketner > Paul Whitfield Horn Professor > Institute for Studies in Pragmaticism > Texas Tech University > Charles Sanders Peirce Interdisciplinary Professor > Anita Thigpen Perry School of Nursing > Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center > MAIL ADDRESS: > Institute for Studies in Pragmaticism > Texas Tech University > Lubbock, TX 79409-0002 > 806 742 3128 > Office email: kenneth.ket...@ttu.edu > Office website: http://www.pragmaticism.net > Personal website: http://www.wyttynys.net > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You are receiving this message because you are subscribed to the PEIRCE-L listserv. To remove yourself from this list, send a message to lists...@listserv.iupui.edu with the line "SIGNOFF PEIRCE-L" in the body of the message. To post a message to the list, send it to PEIRCE-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU