Realism and Individualism : Charles S. Peirce and the Threat of Modern Nominalism

Realism and Individualism. Charles S. Peirce and the Threat of Modern Nominalism discusses the main problems, tenets, assumptions, and arguments involved in Charles S. Peirce's early and late realist stances and subjects to critical scrutiny the still dominant view that Pragmatic Realism merely extends or refines new arguments in support of Scholastic Realism without questioning its basic assumptions. The book presents a critical overview of Peirce’s views on modern nominalism and offers a novel approach to the social-anthropological underpinnings of his realism, especially Pragmatic Realism vis à vis the individualist tendencies in modern thought. The book is of interest to scholars and students of philosophy, especially students of American pragmatism, anthropology, linguistic pragmatics, as well as to anyone interested in Charles S. Peirce, Duns Scotus, Ockham, and generally to semioticians, social scientists, and sociologists. BSP 55 REALISM AND INDIVIDUALISM 2 Editorial page 3 Title page 4 LCC data 5 Table of contents 6 About the author 8 Abbreviations 10 Introduction 12 1. Modesty v. presumption. Peirce in search after a subtle equilibrium 13 2. Overview 18 Chapter 1. Scholastic realism and the coming of the age of individualism 26 1. Peirce’s realisms in a historical perspective 26 2. Back to Scotus in search of the philosophy for modern science 29 2.1 Scholastic problem of universals 32 2.2 Scotistic solution to the problem of universals 35 3. Peirce’s reception of Scotus 41 3.1 Why Peirce prefers Scotus to Ockham 46 4. Scholastic realism from a semeiotic perspective 53 5. The problem of individualism 59 6. The nominalist impact on Peirce - controversy over formalities 64 6.1 Peirce’s reception of Ockham’s logic 69 7. The clash of worldviews 77 Chapter 2. Crusade against modern nominalism 84 1. Pre-history of modern nominalism 85 2. Modern nominalism as a system of ideas 90 3. Modern nominalism I: A conceited young man and his companions 96 4. Modern nominalism II: 17th c. theory of ideas 107 4.1 Holistic theory of perception 110 4.2 Holistic arguments against classical empiricism 118 5. Modern nominalism III: Kant and the theory of categories 121 5.1 Peirce’s theory of categories 126 5.2 Kant the nominalist 137 6. Modern nominalism IV: The instrumentalist era 139 7. Nominalism and the method of science 151 Chapter 3. Pragmatic realism 168 1. What is the realism v. nominalism dilemma about? 171 2. Anti-nominalist correction and extreme scholastic realism 180 2.1 Opium, diamonds, and the goal of inquiry 181 2.2 Extreme scholastic realism: Individualism revisited 189 3. Convergentism - a fruitful direction or a dead-end? 199 4. Scientific realism 204 5. Pragmatic realism I: Factual pre-conditions of inquiry 220 6. Pragmatic realism II: Normative presuppositions of inquiry 224 6.1 Pragmatist account of truth 227 6.2 Best belief and ideal-limit opinion - are they rivals? 233 7. Pragmatic realism III: Commonsensist argument for indubitable truths 242 7.1 Pragmatic realism about the manifest image of the world 248 8. Pragmatic realism IV: Realist ethics of science 252 Chapter 4. Community and individual: Pragmatic realism from a socioindividualist-atomist perspective 262 1. Blumenberg on theological absolutism and modern self-assertion 268 2. Towards a Peircean anthropology: From self-assertion to self-control 278 2.1 Anthropology of self-control 290 3. Individualist atomism and communal organicism 294 4. Monadological organicism and Peirce’s communitarian organicism 302 5. Self-control and autonomy of the self 312 Afterword 332 1. Peirce’s realisms 332 2. What we need consensus for 336 References 346 Primary sources 346 Secondary sources 346 Index of names 354 Index of terms 358 Realism and Individualism. Charles S. Peirce and the Threat of Modern Nominalism discusses the main problems, tenets, assumptions, and arguments involved in Charles S. Peirce's early and late realist stances and subjects to critical scrutiny the still dominant view that Pragmatic Realism merely extends or refines new arguments in support of Scholastic Realism without questioning its basic assumptions. The book presents a critical overview of Peirce's views on modern nominalism and offers a novel approach to the social-anthropological underpinnings of his realism, especially Pragmatic Realism vis a vis the individualist tendencies in modern thought. The book is of interest to scholars and students of philosophy, especially students of American pragmatism, anthropology, linguistic pragmatics, as well as to anyone interested in Charles S. Peirce, Duns Scotus, Ockham, and generally to semioticians, social scientists, and sociologists This book discusses the main problems, tenets, assumptions, and arguments involved in Charles S. Peirce's early and late realist stances and subjects to critical scrutiny the still dominant view that Pragmatic Realism merely extends or refines new arguments in support of Scholastic Realism without questioning its basic assumptions. The book presents a critical overview of Peirce's views on modern nominalism and offers a novel approach to the social-anthropological underpinnings of his realism, especially Pragmatic Realism vis a vis the individualist tendencies in modern thought. The book is of interest to scholars and students of philosophy, especially students of American pragmatism, anthropology, linguistic pragmatics, as well as to anyone interested in Charles S. Peirce, Duns Scotus, Ockham, and generally to semioticians, social scientists, and sociologists. __Realism and Individualism. Charles S. Peirce and the Threat of Modern Nominalism__The book is of interest to scholars and students of philosophy, especially students of American pragmatism, anthropology, linguistic pragmatics, as well as to anyone interested in Charles S. Peirce, Duns Scotus, Ockham, and generally to semioticians, social scientists, and sociologists.