In his theory of tychism, Peirce sought to deny the central position of the doctrine of necessity which maintains that "the state of things existing at any time, together with certain immutable laws, completely determine the state of things at every other time."[1] One of the principal arguments of the necessitarians is that their position involves a presupposition of all science. Peirce attacks this idea asserting: "To 'postulate' a proposition is no more than to hope it is true."[2] Thus an avenue is opened up allowing the entry of chance as a fundamental and absolute entity.
Peirce does not, of course, assert that there is no law in the universe. On the contrary, he maintains that an absolutely chance world would be a contradiction and thus impossible. Complete lack of order is itself a sort of order. The position he advocates is rather that there are in the universe both regularities and irregularities.
To explain the presence of such a universal "law" Peirce proposes a cosmological theory of evolution in which law develops out of chance. The hypothesis that out of irregularity, regularity constantly evolves seemed to him to have decided advantages not the least being its explanation of "why laws are not precisely or always obeyed, for what is still in a process of evolution can not be supposed to be absolutely fixed."[3]
In an article published in The Monist for January, 1891, I endeavored to show what ideas ought to form the warp of a system of philosophy, and particularly emphasized that of absolute chance. In the number of April, 1892, I argued further in favor of that way of thinking, which it will be convenient to christen tychism (from tyché, chance). A serious student of philosophy will be in no haste to accept or reject this doctrine; but he will see in it one of the chief attitudes which speculative thought may take, feeling that it is not for an individual, nor for an age, to pronounce upon a fundamental question of philosophy. That is a task for a whole era to work out. I have begun by showing that tychism must give birth to an evolutionary cosmology, in which all the regularities of nature and of mind are regarded as products of growth, and to a Schelling-fashioned idealism which holds matter to be mere specialized and partially deadened mind." - C.S. Peirce, "The Law of Mind", 1892.[4]
Underpinnings
Attempting to provide an explanation of some of the more general observable traits of the universe, Peirce formulates four reasons in support of his hypothesis:
Peirce very pointedly observed that all the scientifically viable theories of evolution are based on tychistic formulations.
Herbert Spencer had argued that evolution was an inevitable upwards progress driven by the law of the conservation of energy. Peirce rejected this idea, pointing out that energy conservation, like other laws of classical physics, is time-symmetric. Turning to Darwin he points out that the fundamental driver of his theory is accidental variation, noting that "Darwinian evolution is evolution by the operation of chance, and the destruction of bad results." Even the catastrophism of Clarence King and others, which postulates an acceleration in evolutionary change via sudden environmental dislocations, naturally falls under the rubric of tychism.
This evolutionary aspect of tychism compels Peirce to expand Darwin's view to a cosmological level, sending its operations back to the origin of the universe under the regulative principle of his synechism.
^Peirce, C.S. (1892) "The Doctrine of Necessity Examined", The Monist, v. II, n. 3, pp. 321-337, see p. 323. Google Books Eprint. Internet Archive Eprint. Reprinted in Collected Papers v. 6, paragraph 35-65, see 37; and in Philosophical Writings of Peirce pp. 324-38, and The Essential Peirce v. 1, pp 298-311.
^"The Doctrine of Necessity Examined" (see previous footnote), see p. 323. In Collected Papers, see v. 6, paragraph 39.
^Peirce, C.S. (1892), "The Law of Mind", The Monist, v. II, n. 4, July, pp. 533-559 (see first paragraph). Google Books Eprint. Internet Archive Eprint. Reprinted Collected Papers of Charles Sanders Peirce, v. 6, paragraphs 102-163, Philosophical Writings of Peirce pp. 339-360, and The Essential Peirce v. 1, pp. 312-333.
Bergman, Mats; Paavola, Sami (6 March 2003), "Tychism", the Commens Dictionary of Peirce's Terms (collection of Peirce's own definitions).
Esposito, Joseph L., Evolutionary Metaphysics: The Development of Peirce's Theory of Categories, Athens: Ohio University Press, 1980, ISBN978-0-8214-0551-2
Hausman, Carl, Charles Peirce's Evolutionary Metaphysics, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1993, ISBN978-0-521-41559-0
Sheriff, John K., Charles Peirce's Guess at the Riddle: Grounds for Human Significance, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994, ISBN978-0-253-35204-0
Turley, Peter, Peirce's Cosmology, New York: Philosophical Library, 1977, ISBN978-0-8022-2208-4
March 03, 2023
tychism, greek, τύχη, chance, thesis, proposed, american, philosopher, charles, sanders, peirce, that, holds, that, absolute, chance, indeterminism, real, factor, operative, universe, this, doctrine, forms, central, part, peirce, comprehensive, evolutionary, c. Tychism Greek tyxh lit chance is a thesis proposed by the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce that holds that absolute chance or indeterminism is a real factor operative in the universe This doctrine forms a central part of Peirce s comprehensive evolutionary cosmology It may be considered both the direct opposite of Albert Einstein s oft quoted dictum that God does not play dice with the universe and an early philosophical anticipation of Werner Heisenberg s uncertainty principle Contents 1 The thesis 1 1 Underpinnings 2 Evolution 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 Further readingThe thesis EditIn his theory of tychism Peirce sought to deny the central position of the doctrine of necessity which maintains that the state of things existing at any time together with certain immutable laws completely determine the state of things at every other time 1 One of the principal arguments of the necessitarians is that their position involves a presupposition of all science Peirce attacks this idea asserting To postulate a proposition is no more than to hope it is true 2 Thus an avenue is opened up allowing the entry of chance as a fundamental and absolute entity Peirce does not of course assert that there is no law in the universe On the contrary he maintains that an absolutely chance world would be a contradiction and thus impossible Complete lack of order is itself a sort of order The position he advocates is rather that there are in the universe both regularities and irregularities To explain the presence of such a universal law Peirce proposes a cosmological theory of evolution in which law develops out of chance The hypothesis that out of irregularity regularity constantly evolves seemed to him to have decided advantages not the least being its explanation of why laws are not precisely or always obeyed for what is still in a process of evolution can not be supposed to be absolutely fixed 3 In an article published in The Monist for January 1891 I endeavored to show what ideas ought to form the warp of a system of philosophy and particularly emphasized that of absolute chance In the number of April 1892 I argued further in favor of that way of thinking which it will be convenient to christen tychism from tyche chance A serious student of philosophy will be in no haste to accept or reject this doctrine but he will see in it one of the chief attitudes which speculative thought may take feeling that it is not for an individual nor for an age to pronounce upon a fundamental question of philosophy That is a task for a whole era to work out I have begun by showing that tychism must give birth to an evolutionary cosmology in which all the regularities of nature and of mind are regarded as products of growth and to a Schelling fashioned idealism which holds matter to be mere specialized and partially deadened mind C S Peirce The Law of Mind 1892 4 Underpinnings Edit Attempting to provide an explanation of some of the more general observable traits of the universe Peirce formulates four reasons in support of his hypothesis Growth and increasing complexity Variety and diversity Regularity laws of nature Mind consciousness feeling 5 He then asks us to consider how these features could possibly be explained by a strictly determined mechanistic theory of the way of all things Evolution EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Tychism news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Evolution begins Peirce very pointedly observed that all the scientifically viable theories of evolution are based on tychistic formulations Herbert Spencer had argued that evolution was an inevitable upwards progress driven by the law of the conservation of energy Peirce rejected this idea pointing out that energy conservation like other laws of classical physics is time symmetric Turning to Darwin he points out that the fundamental driver of his theory is accidental variation noting that Darwinian evolution is evolution by the operation of chance and the destruction of bad results Even the catastrophism of Clarence King and others which postulates an acceleration in evolutionary change via sudden environmental dislocations naturally falls under the rubric of tychism This evolutionary aspect of tychism compels Peirce to expand Darwin s view to a cosmological level sending its operations back to the origin of the universe under the regulative principle of his synechism See also EditAccidentalism PanpsychismNotes Edit Peirce C S 1892 The Doctrine of Necessity Examined The Monist v II n 3 pp 321 337 see p 323 Google Books Eprint Internet Archive Eprint Reprinted in Collected Papers v 6 paragraph 35 65 see 37 and in Philosophical Writings of Peirce pp 324 38 and The Essential Peirce v 1 pp 298 311 The Doctrine of Necessity Examined see previous footnote see p 323 In Collected Papers see v 6 paragraph 39 Hamblin pg 380 Peirce C S 1892 The Law of Mind The Monist v II n 4 July pp 533 559 see first paragraph Google Books Eprint Internet Archive Eprint Reprinted Collected Papers of Charles Sanders Peirce v 6 paragraphs 102 163 Philosophical Writings of Peirce pp 339 360 and The Essential Peirce v 1 pp 312 333 Reynolds pg 13 References EditHamblin Francis Murphy A Comment on Peirce s Tychism The Journal of Philosophy v 42 n 14 July 5 1945 pp 378 383 Peirce C S Collected Papers of Charles Sanders Peirce Volumes V and VI Pragmatism and Pragmaticism and Scientific Metaphysics editors Hartshorne and Weiss Harvard University Press January 1935 ISBN 978 0 674 13802 5 Reynolds Andrew Peirce s Scientific Metaphysics Vanderbilt University Press Nashville 2002 ISBN 0 8265 1396 4Further reading Edit Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica article Accidentalism Bergman Mats Paavola Sami 6 March 2003 Tychism the Commens Dictionary of Peirce s Terms collection of Peirce s own definitions Esposito Joseph L Evolutionary Metaphysics The Development of Peirce s Theory of Categories Athens Ohio University Press 1980 ISBN 978 0 8214 0551 2 Hausman Carl Charles Peirce s Evolutionary Metaphysics Cambridge UK Cambridge University Press 1993 ISBN 978 0 521 41559 0 Sheriff John K Charles Peirce s Guess at the Riddle Grounds for Human Significance Bloomington Indiana University Press 1994 ISBN 978 0 253 35204 0 Turley Peter Peirce s Cosmology New York Philosophical Library 1977 ISBN 978 0 8022 2208 4 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tychism amp oldid 1130927132, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
