Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Ghasem Pourhasan ¹
• Arvin Moradi ²

¹ allameh tabataba'i university

² Allameh Tabataba'i University

Abstract

Peirce offers conflicting perspectives on the relationship between science, ethics, and religion. On one hand, he considers ethics and religion to be vital realms that can only be grasped through inner feeling and instinct; on the other hand, he occasionally adopts views that run counter to this approach. Ultimately, Peirce argues that logic is founded upon ethics, and ethics, in turn, is based on aesthetics. This paper examines the internal inconsistencies within Peirce’s philosophy, demonstrating that his attempt to separate science from ethics and religion is at odds with the overall coherence of his thought. In our analysis, we first explore the role of instinct in reasoning, alongside the concept of self-control as the guiding principle of inquiry. We show that, for Peirce, instinct forms the foundation of all reasoning and thought. However, instinct alone is insufficient—it must be regulated by certain principles. The principle governing inquiry is essentially ethical, and since, in Peirce’s view, ethics is grounded in aesthetics, the traditional boundaries between these three domains ultimately vanish. Moreover, two additional key concepts in Peirce’s philosophy—agapism and synechism—demonstrate how the world is harmonized by the force of love. Peirce envisions the universe as an interconnected whole in which distinctions between mind and matter, reason and emotion, and soul and body become untenable. Finally, we contend that although Peirce’s methodology reasonably incorporates ethics and aesthetics into scientific inquiry, his acceptance of ideas such as evolutionary love introduces a metaphysical element into his philosophy that ultimately undermines its rational foundation.

Keywords

• Peirce
• ethics
• religion
• evolutionary love
• logic

Main Subjects

• philosophy