The
philosopher, Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914), was born in Massachusets
to the son of the famous mathemetician, Benjamin Peirce. Although Peirce
exhibited early genius, his academic career turned out to be something
of a disappointment. He studeied at Harvard University and later taught
a few courses on logic at John Hopkins University.
In the philosophical world, Peirce is largely known as one of the founders of logic and the father of Pragmatism. Pragmatism is the philosophical method that applies scientific theory to philisophical notions and ideas. In Peirce's essay "The Fixation of Belief", Peirce analyzes concepts such as belief, doubt, and methods of inquiry in terms of practical results.
Peirce is also accredited with formulating the pragmatic notion of truth-as what is represented by best opinion in the ideal limit of scientific inquiry. "Truth" is the belief that investigators will eventually arrive at. Along the way there will be disagreements, but in the end truth will prevail.
Peirce also gave the name abduction to the process of inference and believed that by observing past observational data, one could predict the future. Despite the great promise that Peirce exhibited he retired in Milford, Pennslyvania destitute, ill, and alone.
Audrey Wright