Peirce: A Guide for the Perplexed

This little book by the philosopher Cornelis de Waal is a gem. It provides an overview of Peirce’s thinking that surveys its breadth, acknowledges its history, and elaborates the variety of thoughts generated by Peirce’s triadic logic. After a lucid chapter on Peirce’s life and work, the book is organized by Peirce’s classification of the sciences, as indicated by the chapter titles: Mathematics and philosophy; Phenomenology and the categories; The normative science of logic; Semeiotics, or the doctrine of signs; Philosophy of science; Pragmatism; Truth and reality; and Mind, God, and cosmos. de Waal does not try to distill Peirce’s work into a single, coherent philosophical system, but treats it as a work in progress, a body of thought shaped more and more thoroughly by triadic logic as Peirce worked to root out the ill effects of Cartesian dualism. Peirce’s thought had strong roots in the philosophical tradition; de Waal gives a good feel for how Peirce fits in this tradition without letting the narrative bog down in historical detail. Peirce’s thought stays front and center, propped as needed by Aristotle, Duns Scotus, Hegel, and Kant.

This is a tall order, but one that de Waal pulls off with style, learning, and considerable skill. The book is a joy from start to finish.