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Department of History and Philosophy of Science

 

The Pragmatism Reading Group is held on Mondays at 12noon–1pm 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