The Normative Thought of Charles S. Peirce

This volume explores the three normative sciences that Peirce distinguished (aesthetics, ethics, and logic) and their relation to phenomenology and metaphysics. The essays approach this topic from a variety of angles, ranging from questions concerning the normativity of logic to an application of Peirces semiotics to John Coltranes A Love Supreme. A recurrent question throughout is whether a moral theory can be grounded in Peirces work, despite his rather vehement denial that this can be done. Some essays ask whether a dichotomy exists between theoretical and practical ethics. Other essays show that Peirces philosophy embraces meliorism, examine the role played by self-control, seek to ground communication theory in Peirces speculative rhetoric, or examine the normative aspect of the notion of truth.