The Commens Dictionary

Quote from ‘Harvard Lectures on Pragmatism: Lecture II’

Term: 
Philosophy
Quote: 

Philosophy, as I understand the word, is a positive theoretical science, and a science in an early stage of development. As such it has no more to do with belief than any other science. Indeed, I am bound to confess that it is at present in so unsettled a condition, that if the ordinary theorems of molecular physics and of archaeology are but the ghosts of beliefs, then to my mind, the doctrines of the philosophers are little better than the ghosts of ghosts. I know this is an extremely heretical opinion.

Source: 
Peirce, Charles S. (1903). Harvard Lectures on Pragmatism: Lecture II. MS [R] 306
Date: 
1903
References: 
CP 5.61
Citation: 
‘Philosophy’ (pub. 15.10.12-16:15). Quote in M. Bergman & S. Paavola (Eds.), The Commens Dictionary: Peirce's Terms in His Own Words. New Edition. Retrieved from http://www.commens.org/dictionary/entry/quote-harvard-lectures-pragmatism-lecture-ii.
Posted: 
Oct 15, 2012, 16:15 by Mats Bergman
Last revised: 
Jan 07, 2014, 01:05 by Commens Admin