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“Protoplasm feels": the role of physiology in Charles Sanders Peirce's evolutionary metaphysics

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Pearce, T. (2018). “Protoplasm feels": the role of physiology in Charles Sanders Peirce's evolutionary metaphysics. Hopos. https://doi.org/doi:10.1086/695760
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Description

This essay is an attempt to explain why Charles Sanders Peirce’s evolutionary metaphysics would not have seemed strange to its original 1890s audience. Building on the pioneering work of Andrew Reynolds, I will excavate the scientific context of Peirce’s Monist articles—in particular “The Law of Mind” and “Man’s Glassy Essence,” both published in 1892—focusing on the relationship between protoplasm, evolution, and consciousness. I argue that Peirce’s discussions should be understood in the context of contemporary evolutionary and physiological speculations, many of which were featured in late-1880s issues of Open Court, sister journal to the Monist.

Details
Title

“Protoplasm feels": the role of physiology in Charles Sanders Peirce's evolutionary metaphysics

Author(s)

Pearce, Trevor

UNC Charlotte Affiliate Type

Faculty

Publisher

University of Chicago Press

Extent

1 online resource

Date Published

2018-01-25

Material Type

Journal article

Genre

articles

Resource Type

text

Abstract

This essay is an attempt to explain why Charles Sanders Peirce’s evolutionary metaphysics would not have seemed strange to its original 1890s audience. Building on the pioneering work of Andrew Reynolds, I will excavate the scientific context of Peirce’s Monist articles—in particular “The Law of Mind” and “Man’s Glassy Essence,” both published in 1892—focusing on the relationship between protoplasm, evolution, and consciousness. I argue that Peirce’s discussions should be understood in the context of contemporary evolutionary and physiological speculations, many of which were featured in late-1880s issues of Open Court, sister journal to the Monist.

Subjects--Names

Peirce, Charles S. (Charles Sanders), 1839-1914

Subjects--Topics

Philosophy
Metaphysics

Is Part Of

HOPOS

Volume

8

Issue

1

ISSN

2156-6240

Beginning Page Number

28

Ending Page Number

61

Language

English

Published Version (Please cite this version)

doi:10.1086/695760

Publisher's Version

https://doi.org/10.1086/695760

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/work:52

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