Walking in the swamp: Fallibilism and truth in the thought of C. S. Peirce.: Waking in the swamp: Fallibilism and truth in the thought of C. S. Peirce

Abstract

This paper examines the philosophy of Charles S. Peirce in order to elucidate the relations he establishes between the notion of fallibilism, the name by which he designates the totality of his thought, and others such as continuity and truth. C. S. Peirce's philosophy is profoundly systematic and, therefore, any of its central notions, i. e., continuity, pragmatism, abduction, evolution and semiosis, illuminate one another and are intertwined in such a way that it is not possible to understand them fully without examining the whole of his thought. The crucial importance of fallibilism within this whole must be re-examined.

In particular, an attempt will be made to show how Peircean fallibilism, far from leading to skepticism, is compatible with the search for truth as the end of research. Peirce starts from a realist conception according to which our knowledge has been molded through biological evolution and has, as its main characteristic, the capacity for self-correction. His theory of truth is examined and it is explained how it is compatible with the rest of his philosophy.