61 Letters to Victoria Welby, 1905–1909
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Ahti-Veikko Pietarinen
R L 463, Houghton Library. Peirce’s decade-long correspondence with Victoria Welby explores the semiotic bedrock of his philosophy. Here, he refines his theory of signs, defining them as media for communicating Forms and distinguishing Immediate/Dynamical Objects and cataloguing Interpretants. The letters detail his trichotomies of signs and defend existential graphs as “icon of thought” that render logic intelligible through visual or other modalities. Central to this exchange is Peirce’s pedagogical and didactic mission: he guides Welby through graphical reasoning via tailored and progressive exercises—how to transform complex graphs into equivalent forms, how to resolve contradictions; in general, how to best apply the sound and complete rules of transformation to demonstrate how his graphs serve as the instrument of logical analysis. His six structured exercises involve a number of pedagogical innovations: they (i) emphasise the key rules of transformation; (ii) are of progressive difficulty; (iii) are methodologically focused on teaching reasoning about methods over rote application, including coloured ink for clarity; (iv) integrate a wider semiotic perspective that frames graphs as tools to dissect how signs communicate their dynamical objects; and (v) are written in a collaborative tone that adapts explanations to Welby’s learning efforts, revealing logic itself as a communal and dialogic process. Amid these pedagogical drills in graphical reasoning, Peirce confessed his “intellectual left-handedness” and laments the “ferocious hum-drum-acity” of an era blind to his work. Financial strife and illness punctuate these exchanges, yet his urgency to vindicate spiritual truths against nominalism fuels his mission to redefine signification—a project Welby’s significs both complements and challenges.
R L 463, Houghton Library. Peirce’s decade-long correspondence with Victoria Welby explores the semiotic bedrock of his philosophy. Here, he refines his theory of signs, defining them as media for communicating Forms and distinguishing Immediate/Dynamical Objects and cataloguing Interpretants. The letters detail his trichotomies of signs and defend existential graphs as “icon of thought” that render logic intelligible through visual or other modalities. Central to this exchange is Peirce’s pedagogical and didactic mission: he guides Welby through graphical reasoning via tailored and progressive exercises—how to transform complex graphs into equivalent forms, how to resolve contradictions; in general, how to best apply the sound and complete rules of transformation to demonstrate how his graphs serve as the instrument of logical analysis. His six structured exercises involve a number of pedagogical innovations: they (i) emphasise the key rules of transformation; (ii) are of progressive difficulty; (iii) are methodologically focused on teaching reasoning about methods over rote application, including coloured ink for clarity; (iv) integrate a wider semiotic perspective that frames graphs as tools to dissect how signs communicate their dynamical objects; and (v) are written in a collaborative tone that adapts explanations to Welby’s learning efforts, revealing logic itself as a communal and dialogic process. Amid these pedagogical drills in graphical reasoning, Peirce confessed his “intellectual left-handedness” and laments the “ferocious hum-drum-acity” of an era blind to his work. Financial strife and illness punctuate these exchanges, yet his urgency to vindicate spiritual truths against nominalism fuels his mission to redefine signification—a project Welby’s significs both complements and challenges.
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
