Chance, Love, and Logic - Philosophical Essays #222525

Charles Sanders Peirce was one of America's greatest philosophical minds. A scientist, mathematician, chemist, and philosopher, he is known as the "father of pragmatism" and considered philosophy to be his most important pursuit. <i>Chance, Love, and Logic: Philosophical Essays</i> is a collection of Peirce's greatest works, containing the complete text of his books <i>Illustrations of the Logic of Science</i> and <i>Love and Chance</i>.<br><br>The book opens with a preface written by editor Morris S. Cohen. In it, Cohen sets the stage for the work of Peirce, stating, "these essays are important as giving us the sources of a great deal of contemporary American philosophy." Indeed, Peirce's work is recognized as some of the most important philosophical writing ever produced by an American. An essay from Dr. John Dewey, whose work helps to contextualize the pragmatism of Peirce, concludes this collection.<br><br>In between these bookends, it is the terrific essays of Peirce that make up the meat of this collection. His opening writings, <i>The Fixation of Belief</i>, <i>How to Make Our Ideas Clear</i>, and <i>The Doctrine of Chances</i>, are perhaps his most well-known and influential works, and serve to lay the groundwork for his concept of pragmatism. While any of Peirce's essays stand alone quite well, they become more powerful and prophetic when digested together.<br><br>Charles Peirce writes in a clear and accessible manner. Readers need not be well-versed in philosophical writings in order to enjoy this book. Rather, these essays are a terrific entry point to the school of pragmatism and philosophy as a whole. As an excellent waypoint into the mind of one of America's greatest thinkers, this book is highly recommended for anybody remotely interested in philosophy, or how the world that surrounds us all can be organized and interpreted.