The Road of Inquiry - Hardcover

Skagestad, Peter

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0231050046 ISBN 13: 9780231050043

Publisher: Columbia University Press, 1981

Synopsis

Scientist, mathematician, thinker, the father of pragmatism, the inspiration for William James and John Dewey, Charles Peirce has remained until recently a philosopher's philosopher. Peirce trod a fine line between the extremes of nominalism and realism, tough-minded pragmatism and metaphysical speculation. As Peter Skagestad makes clear, Peirce's system of thought was fragmented, incomplete, and sometimes inconsistent. But one overriding concern gives unity to the whole: the road of inquiry must never be blocked.

About this title

Review

This is not merely a reportorial study of Peirce; it is philosophical and critical, largely sympathetic, but not blind to the puzzling dodges and enigmatic gaps and flaws to be found in some of Peirce's important arguments and theorizing. "The Road of Inquiry" does a very good job of showing why these themes are important, not only for understanding Peirce but in relation to more recent philosophical discussions and debates on the nature of meaning, empirical scientific inquiry, and meta-physical commitments of scientific methods and theories.

"This is not merely a reportorial study of Peirce; it is philosophical and critical, largely sympathetic, but not blind to the puzzling dodges and enigmatic gaps and flaws to be found in some of Peirce's important arguments and theorizing. "The Road of Inquiry" does a very good job of showing why these themes are important, not only for understanding Peirce but in relation to more recent philosophical discussions and debates on the nature of meaning, empirical scientific inquiry, and meta-physical commitments of scientific methods and theories."

Edition details

• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Publication date: 1981
• ISBN 10: 0231050046
• ISBN 13: 9780231050043
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 261