"How To Make Our Ideas Clear" (1878) by Charles Sanders Peirce

"How to Make Our Ideas Clear" is a famous essay by American pragmatist philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce, published in 1878. It emphasizes the crucial role of clarity in human thought and communication. It also sets out his doctrine of doubt and belief — and their relationship to inquiry and clarity of our concepts.

Peirce introduces semiotics, the study of signs and symbols, categorizing signs into icons, indexes, and symbols. He presents the pragmatic maxim, asserting that the meaning of ideas lies in their practical consequences. Abduction, a mode of inference, is highlighted for clarifying ideas. Fallibilism is promoted, acknowledging that knowledge is subject to revision. Peirce advocates the scientific method as a means to achieve clarity in ideas, emphasizing observation, experimentation, and hypothesis testing.

This essay has had a lasting impact on philosophy, linguistics, and cognitive science.

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Please read Peirce's essay before the discussion

You can find the essay here: https://courses.media.mit.edu/2004spring/mas966/Peirce%201878%20Make%20Ideas%20Clear.pdf