The Philosophy of Charles Sanders Peirce with Adam Crabtree

Adam Crabtree, RP, is a trainer of psychotherapists and has a private therapy practice in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, He is author of From Mesmer to Freud: Magnetic Sleep and the Roots of Psychological Healing, Multiple Man: Explorations in Possession and Multiple Personality, Trance Zero: Breaking the Spell of Conformity, and Evolutionary Love and the Ravages of Greed. He is also coauthor of Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century, and he is coeditor of Beyond Physicalism: Toward Reconciliation of Science and Spirituality.
Here he notes that C. S. Peirce was regarded by William James as the most important philosopher of his era. Adam adds that Peirce has been extremely important in his own thinking. Peirce is considered the founder of American pragmatic philosophy, as well as the founder of the field of semiotics -- the study of signs and symbols. He was an evolutionary thinker and an "objective idealist" who believed that, while the external world was real, all was consciousness and alive. Peirce also is thought to have suffered from bipolar disorder.
New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in "parapsychology" ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980).
(Recorded on December 8, 2017)
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[@jamespotts8197]

The subjects that are the topics of conversation, as well, picking Philosophers that aren't as well known, or referenced as the likes of Nietzsche, Hume or Descartes, the ones that can be considered "on the fringes", of this discipline, is what I enjoy the most about N.T.A., the obscurity of this Philosopher, makes this episode that much more interesting. Diving as deep into intellectualism as N.T.A. does and has been doing, makes this program the amazingly impressive show that it is, and as well, very indispensable as an academic resource that brings to light those who would otherwise remain "untouched", by most, if not all of, what could be considered mainstream Philosophical programs, online magazines, blogs...etc. Thanks again, and please keep pushing forwards, as you've always done in the past!

[@JamesSheffer]

You got me! Up to now C. S. Peirce was just someone that William James made reference to at times in my reading. But when Dr Crabtree suggests that his writing style and deep thinking makes it very challenging to read his works, that was all it took to set me on the path. I will start tonight with an 1877 article, "The Fixation of Belief." I look forward to the journey. Thank You!! - James (William)

[@thebiomatrix]

Peirce has a collective works, that I loaned from Falmer university in the early 90's.

[@JamesSheffer]

Thank you, Steven, for the lead. I have found a web site that has several of his articles lifted from journals. Also a few of his books on Kindle. I try to read his writings earlier in the day rather than just before bedtime. I sleep better that way. :)

[@sawtoothiandi]

@@JamesSheffer How are you getting on? I have recently asked for a 'sign' and been directed towards the field of semiotics. I have found a philosopher called John Deely who has written an interpretation of the history of western philosophy through the lens of semiotics 'Four Ages of Understanding: The First Postmodern Survey of Philosophy from Ancient Times to the Turn of the Twenty-First Century'. That book hasnt arrived just yet but i look forward to reading it. I think it may be very useful in rationalizing a lot of what seems irrational in our current society and culture. My ultimate aim would be to see how semiotics may relate to Buddhist philosophy.

[@JamesSheffer]

@@sawtoothiandi It sounds we may have been traveling some of the same paths on our goal to "rationalizing what seems irrational in our current society and culture." As soon as I began my venture into semiotics (Charles Peirce to Morris through Tom Sebeok) my ingestion of their philosophies was overshadowed by a taste of Skinner's behaviorism. The primary basis of the philosophy being the senses (anthropologically biased) and omitting the consciousness of Huxley's "mind-at-large", though I believe Aristotle included that element, turned me closer to a favorite of mine, Bernardo Kastrup. I have come to recognize that culture, society and RELIGION are at the core of "irrationality," and the resultant eradication of Love (or concern) for others and myself - including me and the tree in my backyard. Theravada Buddhist tradition has become my escape. Thanks for the privilege of having communicated with you! - James S.

[@sawtoothiandi]

@@JamesSheffer a litttle tip, there is a book soon to be released by the semiotician Marcel Danesi called 'The art of the lie: how the manipulation of language affects our minds'. I think it may be very pertinent to social media, media in general, capitalist propaganda, politicians, and one donald j drumpf 🤥 Word to the wise 😉

[@chatonmignon4316]

It’s true that Peirce’s work is difficult to read. But a very interesting thing is that Peirce’s views in secondary sources are extremely clear as if understanding his system provided transparent speech and writing. Or maybe it’s only that Peirce’s readers are naturally pragmatic people... Oppositely, Saussure’s Cours de linguistique is quite straightforward but was the source of 100 years of gibberish structuralism and formalism...

[@zick1010]

Interesting take on Peirce's work concerning his metaphysical stances. Indeed he was a great philosopher that was overlooked and blacklisted in academia. In his Collected Papers he mentions how he is first and foremost a logician. There's no doubt that his foundation and upbringing in logic established his pragmatism.

[@qooguy]

The Void begets the One, the One begets the Two, the Two begets the Three, and the Three begets everything (the ten thousand things).

[@hakim_alrooh]

Thank you both

[@nupraptorthementalist3306]

Some of this also sounds like Alfred North Whitehead.

[@otakurocklee]

I like this. Teleology without intelligent design.

[@Romeo-le2ez]

Peirce was a real one

[@otakurocklee]

I think the question needs to be asked why the grand mind evolved towards a set of laws that are reductionistic. My answer is that a reductionistic world provides stability against the pure potential of mind which could be chaotic.

[@j000andersson]

Oh, Peirce's theory covers this eloquently: In addition to possibility/chance (primary), he emphasises the role of necessity/conformity (secondary), and, lastly, association/habit (tertiary). Agency might always be borne out of chance occurrence, however it immediately falls into pattern, esp when agency is aggregated; the atom will flow alongside all the other atoms.

[@dialecticalmonist3405]

@@j000andersson Future, present and past.

[@SergiiStarodubtsev]

18:50 M. Heidegger is difficult to read, yet he is influential and known.

[@anhumblemessengerofthelawo3858]

6:27 Ding, ding, ding, ding! 100%

[@gustavderkits8433]

Parapsychology? How they perform? It seems to work? Oh boy!

[@HeDeRust]

What is habits ?

[@Paddyllfixit]

I think Adam might find *Signature In The Cell* an interesting read.

[@Paddyllfixit]

There were some jealous and begrudging peers and mentors that didn't help or promote Peirse' work.

[@1330m]

very good Longitude 127 Seoul Okinawa Soul Axis -- Bahai Faith Rael Jesus Huh kyung young Great aletheia

[@mustafaozcan3527]

21.yüzyıl bilimselliğini derin psişik ortamdaki gerşekliklerden hareketle anlamaya yönelik holistik bağlamda yapılandırılmış olağandışı bir söyleşi

[@hernanguglielmo193]

1:48 PERRS

[@mikesnelling9272]

This is a very personal view of Peirce, refer to Hilary Putnam for a more balanced view .

[@malcolmhollett8638]

this is pretty retro for a channel called new thinking allowed

[@vanollsum]

mind everything not just all mind...

[@stvbrsn]

Jeffrey, look a little closer. It's spelled Peirce, not Pierce.

[@NewThinkingAllowed]

Do you see it misspelled somewhere?

[@stvbrsn]

New Thinking Allowed no, at the beginning of the interview Jeff asks about the pronunciation saying "why is it pronounced 'purse' when it's spelled Pierce." I was just pointing out that it's spelled just as oddly (Peirce) as it's pronounced, that's all. Cheers!

[@Paddyllfixit]

Every twitch is being scrutinized on this show Jeff. ;-)

[@Paddyllfixit]

Soteriologist, Why did you remove your posts? I enjoy your silly little rants about nothing.

[@Paddyllfixit]

Ehhh....Amanda, where is that coming from? I wasn't even addressing you, so what's with giving me the blow-dryer effect?

[@fayegoulet64]

Please stop saying that Peirce is hard to read...its totally untrue...hes not a romance novelist like James...peirce is easily understandable.. He just doesnt pander to the reader LOL

[@jamespower5165]

His diction is poor compared to someone like a Bertrand Russell or a David Hume for example but he certainly doesn't speak in some self-satisfied jargon as many academic philosophers still do. He just doesn't organize his ideas as well or devote the appropriate amounts of space to the different things he's saying as more skilful writers do

[@piezoification]

PEIRCE INFINITY THESE 'STUDENTS' ZERO

[@DasMonocle]

Interviewer interrupts way too much. Even if I see topics that I’m interested in I probably won’t watch again. Stop cutting off the person you’re interviewing.