The Pragmatism Reading Group is held on Mondays at 11am–12noon in the Board Room.
Organisers: Damon Kutzin (dtk23) and Niall Roe (nrr32)
Easter Term: T.L. Short – Peirce's Theory of Signs
This term we will be reading selections from T.L. Short's wide reaching 2007 book, Peirce's Theory of Signs. This is much more than an introduction to semiotics, and covers most of Peirce's philosophy of science. We are reading it out of order, starting with the three final chapters on the development of science, philosophy of mind, and the nature of objectivity. Then we will go back and see how Peirce's theories of final causation and of signs lead to these positions (or if the group would prefer, we can instead pursue one of the topics of the final three chapters). Here we are (almost) following Short's own advice on how to approach the book for those who are not yet sure they want to learn about semiotics:
"Those doubting the value of time spent grappling with Peirce may want to look first at chapters 10–12, and only then, if curiosity has been aroused, read chapters 3–7."
5 May
Chapter 10 – How Symbols Grow
12 May
Chapter 11 – Semiosis and the Mental
19 May
Chapter 12 – The Structure of Objectivity
26 May
Chapter 4 / 5 – (Preface to) Final Causation (Excerpts)
2 June
Chapter 6 – Significance
9 June
Chapter 7 – Objects and Interpretants
16 June
Chapter 8 – A Taxonomy of Signs