59 Letters to William James, 1897–1910
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Ahti-Veikko Pietarinen
R L 224, Houghton Library. This chapter traces the profound yet strained intellectual partnership between Peirce and James, oscillating between camaraderie and collision. Across 13 years of correspondence, Peirce meticulously articulates his pragmaticism as a corrective to James’s psychologised pragmatism, insisting on logic’s exact nature to help rewire James’s “anti-mathematical mind”. Central are expositions of existential graphs—Peirce’s happiest logical discovery—and critiques of Josiah Royce’s logical schemes, framed through discussions of triadic categories and relational algebra. Amid technical discussions, Peirce’s personal struggles surface: financial ruin, Juliette’s failing health, and the race to publish his System of Logic before incipient old age silences him. Throughout their lives, James emerges as both a lifeline and philosophical antagonist, the bond weathering Peirce’s despair at academia’s indifference and his defiant quest to vindicate real, philosophical truths against the mechanistic language of thought. The letters crystallise pragmatism’s schism—Peirce’s architectonic precision versus James’s experiential pluralism— and their shared race against mortality.
R L 224, Houghton Library. This chapter traces the profound yet strained intellectual partnership between Peirce and James, oscillating between camaraderie and collision. Across 13 years of correspondence, Peirce meticulously articulates his pragmaticism as a corrective to James’s psychologised pragmatism, insisting on logic’s exact nature to help rewire James’s “anti-mathematical mind”. Central are expositions of existential graphs—Peirce’s happiest logical discovery—and critiques of Josiah Royce’s logical schemes, framed through discussions of triadic categories and relational algebra. Amid technical discussions, Peirce’s personal struggles surface: financial ruin, Juliette’s failing health, and the race to publish his System of Logic before incipient old age silences him. Throughout their lives, James emerges as both a lifeline and philosophical antagonist, the bond weathering Peirce’s despair at academia’s indifference and his defiant quest to vindicate real, philosophical truths against the mechanistic language of thought. The letters crystallise pragmatism’s schism—Peirce’s architectonic precision versus James’s experiential pluralism— and their shared race against mortality.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations of Peirce’s Works, Archives, and Names
- Introductory Note XV
- Foreword XVII
- Contents XXI
- General Introduction to Logic of the Future 1
- Introduction to the Theory of Existential Graphs, Volumes 3/1 and 3/2 15
- Introduction to Peirce’s Correspondence on Existential Graphs 29
- Afterword 200
- References 205
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Charles S. Peirce’s Correspondence on Existential Graphs
- 55 Letters on Dictionary of Philosophy and Psychology, 1900–1902 239
- 56 Entries for Dictionary of Philosophy and Psychology, 1900–1902 257
- 57 Letters to Josiah Royce, 1903–1913 296
- 58 Peirce–Paul Carus–Francis C. Russell Correspondence, 1896–1919 303
- 59 Letters to William James, 1897–1910 376
- 60 Letter to E. V. Huntington, February 14, 1904 426
- 61 Letters to Victoria Welby, 1905–1909 430
- 62 Letters to Samuel Barnett, 1909–1910 473
- 63 Letter to James Howard Kehler, June 22, 1911 487
- 64 Letter to Fernand Robert, September 29, 1911 548
- 65 Letter to Allan Douglas Risteen, December 6–9, 1911 556
- 66 Correspondence with Frederick Adams Woods, 1911–1913 564
- 67 Letter to Fellow, 1909, and to Henry James Jr., 1911 590
- 68 Epilogue: Correspondence with Mary Elizabeth Huntington, 1907–1914 606
- Chronology of the Correspondence 637
- Bibliography of Peirce’s References
- Contents of previous volumes 653
- Name Index
- Keyword Index
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations of Peirce’s Works, Archives, and Names
- Introductory Note XV
- Foreword XVII
- Contents XXI
- General Introduction to Logic of the Future 1
- Introduction to the Theory of Existential Graphs, Volumes 3/1 and 3/2 15
- Introduction to Peirce’s Correspondence on Existential Graphs 29
- Afterword 200
- References 205
-
Charles S. Peirce’s Correspondence on Existential Graphs
- 55 Letters on Dictionary of Philosophy and Psychology, 1900–1902 239
- 56 Entries for Dictionary of Philosophy and Psychology, 1900–1902 257
- 57 Letters to Josiah Royce, 1903–1913 296
- 58 Peirce–Paul Carus–Francis C. Russell Correspondence, 1896–1919 303
- 59 Letters to William James, 1897–1910 376
- 60 Letter to E. V. Huntington, February 14, 1904 426
- 61 Letters to Victoria Welby, 1905–1909 430
- 62 Letters to Samuel Barnett, 1909–1910 473
- 63 Letter to James Howard Kehler, June 22, 1911 487
- 64 Letter to Fernand Robert, September 29, 1911 548
- 65 Letter to Allan Douglas Risteen, December 6–9, 1911 556
- 66 Correspondence with Frederick Adams Woods, 1911–1913 564
- 67 Letter to Fellow, 1909, and to Henry James Jr., 1911 590
- 68 Epilogue: Correspondence with Mary Elizabeth Huntington, 1907–1914 606
- Chronology of the Correspondence 637
- Bibliography of Peirce’s References
- Contents of previous volumes 653
- Name Index
- Keyword Index
