I'm sorry you have been getting the "religious nut" treatment on the forum. — Gnomon
Well, history is filled with people who when they don't understand something automatically jump to thinking that it must have something to do with the 'supernatural'.
I think you are correct about the predominance of Nominalists, who may also be Materialists and Atomists. But in order to converse with them, you will need to try to speak their language, which may not include much Piercean metaphysics. — Gnomon
Yes, this is the disappointing aspect of trying to have conversations here. It is common for nominalists to not realize that they are just as dogmatic in their perspectives as 'spiritualists'. Peirce (P-e-i-r-c-e, pronounced 'purse') is by all means not the 'whole ball of wax' for me. That's an important aspect of the expanding nature of the continuity that he termed 'synechism'. For me, there are several other thinkers that branch out the understanding into biology, physics, aesthetics, language, psychology, thought, and philosophical dual-aspect monism. There is a list of thinkers on my profile that I also draw from for my writing and teaching. What attracts me to Peirce is that he was a brilliant logician, and when one takes the time to learn some of the details of his logic, it is very helpful in understanding these ideas.....
SYNECHISM is the name, from the Greek synechismos, syneches (continuous), Charles Peirce gave to a set of related ideas:
(1) "the doctrine that all that exists is continuous" (CP 1.172);
(2) the rejection of atomism and the existence of ultimate elements;
(3) the view that continuity of being is a condition for communication (CP 7.572);
(4) the view that to exist in some respect is also to not exist in that respect (CP 7.569);
(5) the view that "all phenomena are of one character" consisting of a mixture of freedom and constraint that tends in a teleological manner to increase the reasonableness in the universe (CP 7.570);
(6) the view that consciousness has a bodily and social dimension, the latter originating outside the individual self (7.575);
(7) "the doctrine . . . that elements of Thirdness cannot entirely be escaped" (CP7.653);
(8) a theoretical synthesis of pragmatism and tychism (the doctrine that chance events occur);
(9) the fallibilist view that our scientific facts are continually subject to revision;
(10) "a purely scientific philosophy [that] may play a part in the onement of religion and Science" (CP 7.578).
It's OK to link to "expert" definitions as an extension of your personal opinions. But your key point must be made in the current post. — Gnomon
The key point is that in severing the continuity, it breaks the relational aspects.
I am not here to preach ideas, promote anything, or even 'win' debates. I need the perspectives of others to help me grow in my understanding so that I may become a better writer and teacher. Nominalism is what ails our world, and talking with nominalists helps me learn how to help them broaden their perspectives.
I do think my other post (Thirdness, Induction, Top Down and Bottom Up, .. and symbols) answers most of the questions posed to me on this one, but I can't help the fact that many here have no interest in reading it. It is certainly much shorter than an opening debate in Congress.
;-) Ha!
A couple of things mentioned by others in this thread that I would like to respond to are these, but they have to be responded to in a synechistic context...
1) Peirce DID NOT believe in the existence of God. However, Peirce did believe that God (as in Thirdness, Logos) is 'real'.
2) Agapasm IS NOT the same as agape-ism.
serious scientists are coming to the conclusion that mundane Information is universal — Gnomon
Ah.... 'universal' to whom?
;-)taking into consideration the chaos of the constituents, the whole system (Gaia?) might be half-crazy — Gnomon
Lol .... You and I are on the same page regarding that, for sure!
It's exactly why I have taken on writing about the tragic effects of nominalism.