66 Correspondence with Frederick Adams Woods, 1911–1913
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Ahti-Veikko Pietarinen
R L 477, Houghton Library. Peirce’s nearly decade-long dialogue with biologist Frederick Adams Woods bridges logic, historiography, and developmental studies. Initially praising Woods’s “historiometry” (Heredity in Royalty, 1906) in the first, and the now-lost part of their epistles, Peirce lauds his statistical rigor but critiques historians’ nonsensical singular counterfactuals (e.g., “If Napoleon had won at Leipzig…”) as pragmatically void without generalisable insights. His late 1913 letters, penned during Peirce’s severe illness, expand on epistemology: Peirce famously classifies reasoning into Deduction, Induction, and Retroduction (abductive conjecture-making), defends instincts as evolutionarily tuned, and laments his unpublished legacy, with “many important propositions” held back for decades. Woods, seeking endorsements for his second book (The Influence of Monarchs, 1911), receives trenchant feedback on causation and probability, and their correspondence evolves into a rich exchange about scientific methods. Peirce’s 1913 note—scribbled mid-influenza—laments his weakened memory but affirms his 50-year devotion to logic since childhood encounters with Whately’s Logic. Post-1914, Woods’s recollections to James Haughton Woods and Albert Wiggam depict Peirce’s mix of demonic brilliance, poverty (“almost starving”), and complex character (Royce: “a hard man to suit”), including epicurean tastes (Roquefort, Burgundy), offering intimate glimpses of his final years. The correspondence highlights Peirce’s interdisciplinary reach and unyielding intellectual standards, painting a poignant portrait of his final years.
R L 477, Houghton Library. Peirce’s nearly decade-long dialogue with biologist Frederick Adams Woods bridges logic, historiography, and developmental studies. Initially praising Woods’s “historiometry” (Heredity in Royalty, 1906) in the first, and the now-lost part of their epistles, Peirce lauds his statistical rigor but critiques historians’ nonsensical singular counterfactuals (e.g., “If Napoleon had won at Leipzig…”) as pragmatically void without generalisable insights. His late 1913 letters, penned during Peirce’s severe illness, expand on epistemology: Peirce famously classifies reasoning into Deduction, Induction, and Retroduction (abductive conjecture-making), defends instincts as evolutionarily tuned, and laments his unpublished legacy, with “many important propositions” held back for decades. Woods, seeking endorsements for his second book (The Influence of Monarchs, 1911), receives trenchant feedback on causation and probability, and their correspondence evolves into a rich exchange about scientific methods. Peirce’s 1913 note—scribbled mid-influenza—laments his weakened memory but affirms his 50-year devotion to logic since childhood encounters with Whately’s Logic. Post-1914, Woods’s recollections to James Haughton Woods and Albert Wiggam depict Peirce’s mix of demonic brilliance, poverty (“almost starving”), and complex character (Royce: “a hard man to suit”), including epicurean tastes (Roquefort, Burgundy), offering intimate glimpses of his final years. The correspondence highlights Peirce’s interdisciplinary reach and unyielding intellectual standards, painting a poignant portrait of his final years.
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
