C. S. Peirce Manuscripts

Index of Technical Terms

Diagram explained as an image of a form of relation 6 Sign def 7 [Lvoseby?] Icon def 8 Index def 8 Symbol def 8 Individual 9

[the structure of its constitution had been to so well ..... ... ... names..] [equally ingenious structures of its consitution] - a name chosen to alienate all whom it would alienate. Its constitution, [by the way], was equally effective for it simply [canisister] in a single chance forbidding any [declaration, resolution or other] action /being taken/ by the Club as a collective body, thus preventing /the club/ it from [meshing] the only intrinsically precious thing/element in the merit, as so many other societies crush it, in the idle frivolity they call "business", while more over since, without action there can be no officers and in particular no secretary and so no acknowledged record of debate, an adequate [index] presented to gentlemen deciding who should desire to distinguish themselves or

Page 1 Ms 318 PRAGMATISM [3] Mr. Editor The philosophical journals, the world over, are just now brimming over, as you know, with pragmatism and antipragmatism. The number of [Bernards/rewards] that reaches me this morning has an admirable piece on the subject by a writer of genius and of literary skill, Giovanni Papini. Yesterday brought news of discussions along the same line in New Zealand. Often, however, one hears glib utterances that betray complete misunderstanding of this new ingredient of the thought of our time, so that I gladly accept your invitation to explain what pragmatism really is, how it comes into being, and whither it is tending. Any philosphoical doctrine that should be completely new could hardly fail to prove completely false; but the the rivulets of the head of the river of pragmatism are easily traced back to almost any desired antiquity.

Prag 2 Socrates bathed in these waters. Aristotle rejoices when he can find them. They run, where best one would suspect them, beneath the dry rubbish-heaps of Spinoza. Those clean definitions that strew the pages of the "Essay concerning Humane Understnaing"(preface to reform the spelling) had been washed out in the same pure springs. It was this medium, and not tar-water, that gave health and strength to Berkeley's earlier works, his 'Theory of Vision' and what remains of his 'Principles.' From it the general views of Kant derives such clearness as they have. Auguste Comte made still more much more, use of this element; as much as he saw his way to using. Unfortunately, however, both he and Kant, in their rather opposite ways, more in the habit of mingling these sparkling waters with a certain mental sedative to which many men are addicted, and the burly business men very likely to their benefit, but which plays sad havoc

Prag 3. with the philosophical constitution. I refer to the habit of cherishing contempt for the close study of logic. So much for the past. The ancestry of pragmatism is respectable enough; but the more conscious adoption of it as lanterna pedibus in the discussion of dark questions, and the elobration of it into a method in aid of philosophic inquiry came, in the first instances, from the humbles soûche imaginable. It was in the earliest seventies that a knot of us young men in Old Cambridge, calling ourselves, half ironically, half-defiantly, 'The Metaphysical Club', - for agnosticism was then riding its high horse, and was frowning superbly upon all metaphysics, - used to meet, somtimes in my study, sometimes int hat of William James. It may be that some of our old-time confederates would today not care to have such wild-oats-sowings made public, though there was nothing but boiled oats, milk and sugar in

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the mess Mr Justice Holmes, however, will not, I believe, take it ill that we are proud to remembering his membership; nor will Joseph Warner & Nicholas St John Green was one the most interested fellows, a skillful lawyer and a learned one, a disciple of Jeremy Bentham. His extraordinary power of disrobing warm and breathing truth of the draperies of long worn formulas was what attracted attention even where, in particular, he often urged the importance of applying Bain's definition of belief, as "that upon which a man is prepared to act". From this definition, pragmatism is scarce more than a corollary; so that I am disposed to think of him as the grandfather of pragmatism. Chancey Wright, something of a philosophical celebrity in those days, was never absent from our meetings. I was about to call him our corypheus; but he will better be described as our boxing master whom we, I, particularly, used to face to be severely pummeled. He had abandoned ;

Page 1 Ms. 319 Pragmastism

The philosophical journals the world over are just now brimming with discussion of pragmatism. The number of Leonardo [work] came to me today has some excellent observations on the subject by Giovanni [Papini?]. Yesterday brought news of some disenssions on the subject in New Zealand. Often, however, one comes across glib remakrs that betray complete misunderstandings of this new ingredient of the thought of our time; and I am glad to accept an invitation form the Nation to explain what it really is, how it came in to being, and what it is expected to lead to. A philosophical doctrine which should be completely new could hardly fail to prove completely false; and the beginnings of pragmastism may be traced back almost as far as one with Kanh picked up the method from Kerkeley, onan impcomparable master of it. Locke's Essay [on carrying?] [?] understanding [?] [?] to remember this

Prag 2 was written before the humane was divorced from the human,) derives most of its illuminating definitions from the same practice. Aristotelianism had a tinge of it derived from Socrates; while [the monstrous errors of Descartes and all his star multitudinous progrency mark his, and all their, blindness to light of this color. But this particluar recognition of the light, this fliniging often of the curtains which agnesticism and John Allen's individualistic nominalism has needlessly drawn , was originally the act of very humble hands. It was in the early seventies that a [knot?] of us young men, calling ourselves semi-ironically, semi-defiantly the "metaphysical Club,' use to meet, sometime in my study in Old Cambridge, sometimes in William James's. It may be that some of our old confederates would not care to have such wild oat sowings publicly remembered

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today. But I do not believe that Mr. Justic Holmes will object, mind is, or Joseph Warner Esq. Nicholas St. John Green was a learned lawyer and had a truly extraordianry power of disrobing the living and greathings both of the draperies of old abstractions.Chauncy Wright,almost a philosophical celbrity of that day, who was never absent, was, I was going to say ourcorypheus, but he was rather our boxing mater against when we stood up to be pounded. He had abandoned his former Hamiltoneanism for the doctrine of will and was trying to weld to that and to its cognate agnosticisim the fundamentally in congreeous ideas of Darwin. John Fishe and Francis Ellingwood Abbot were , sometimes present, to express a general approval of our efforts but held themselves aloof. Our communications were all winged words; nothis was set down on paper; until at length, lest the club shouldl be dissolved without leaving a material souvenir behind it, I drew up a

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little paper expression some of the view which I had been urging and had been calling pragmatism. It was received with such unlooked for kindness that I was encouraged, half a dozen years later, on the invitiation of Mr. Williams Eggleton to print it, somewhat enlarged, in the Popular Science Monthly of Nov. 1877 and Jan 1878, though it did not more that half please the editor Mr. Edward Youmans, It also appeared in a French redaction in the Revue Philosophique, Vol VI & VII 39 1879 In those medieval times I did not dare to have such a word as "pragmatism" set up in type. The authority of Mr. Principal Campbell weighed heavily upon me; and I did not yet perceive that if philosophy is to be made a science literary elegance must be sacrificed so far as to encourage, nay to require writes who have scientifically exact concepts to express, to coin new words