love
- Everyone loves a lover;
- John loves Jane;
- Therefore, everyone loves everyone.
∞
* ("Dmesis" is a Greek word that means "taming," or "breaking.")
Charles Peirce on Criminal Justice
I have posted briefly about Peirce's interest in criminal justice before. I haven't time to comment on it extensively now, so for now I will post this link to his piece entitled "Dmesis"* and these brief comments:
More than once commentators on Peirce's Pragmatism have argued that he does not pay attention to politics or to political, social, and ethical theory. This piece is not alone in refuting that thesis. It would be more accurate to say that for Peirce, it is impossible to treat social and ethical issues apart from the rest of his philosophy. Peirce was a synechist, which means he held that ideas are not independent atoms of thought but interdependent and interconnected with one another. Ideas affect one another.
More than once commentators on Peirce's Pragmatism have argued that he does not pay attention to politics or to political, social, and ethical theory. This piece is not alone in refuting that thesis. It would be more accurate to say that for Peirce, it is impossible to treat social and ethical issues apart from the rest of his philosophy. Peirce was a synechist, which means he held that ideas are not independent atoms of thought but interdependent and interconnected with one another. Ideas affect one another.
One great implication of this is that just as one idea affects another in our private thinking, so our personal beliefs affect other persons. Our ideas are not atoms, and neither are we. The foundation of ethics, and of all philosophy, is agape, or love. As Peirce wrote elsewhere,
“He who would not sacrifice his own soul to save the whole world, is illogical in all his inferences, collectively.”
Peirce makes the especially trenchant observation that if we really cared about criminals, then our criminal justice system would make positive habituation a guiding principle in the housing and treatment of prisoners. I'm willing to concede that Peirce may not be right in all he says here, but this point seems spot on: it is inconsistent to habituate people to prison life if our aim is to return them to society.
Peirce's conclusion in the third paragraph also seems right: the fact is, we imprison people "because we detest them."
* ("Dmesis" is a Greek word that means "taming," or "breaking.")
∞
Watching Out For One Another
Something that has struck me lately, a new way (for me, at least) to think of some ancient religious texts:
But maybe the one step they have taken away from superstition is this: they both speak of taking care of others.
We may err intentionally, and that is our fault. But we all err ignorantly and unintentionally as well. We offend without meaning to offend. We do harm without knowing the consequences of our actions.
It is good to be reminded of these things, if only so that we don't think of ourselves too highly. The sacrifice is at least a reminder that we are not flawless, and that we should still examine our lives. Even what we intend for good may cause harm.
If we know that about ourselves, we may know it about others as well. And knowing it about others, we may have the same compassion for them as we have for ourselves.
****************
*The first passage is from the Book of Ezekiel, 45.20; the second is from the Book of Job, 1.5. Both are from the New International Version, which happened to be the one nearest to hand as I wrote this. The first passage is from a passage instructing priests; the second is from the ancient poem about Job, the good man who suffers unexplained evil.
"You are to do the same [sacrifices] for anyone who sins unintentionally or through ignorance..."
and
These texts look only one step removed from magic and superstition, where a fear of evil consequences makes us undergo purifying rituals."Early in the morning, he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts."*
But maybe the one step they have taken away from superstition is this: they both speak of taking care of others.
We may err intentionally, and that is our fault. But we all err ignorantly and unintentionally as well. We offend without meaning to offend. We do harm without knowing the consequences of our actions.
It is good to be reminded of these things, if only so that we don't think of ourselves too highly. The sacrifice is at least a reminder that we are not flawless, and that we should still examine our lives. Even what we intend for good may cause harm.
If we know that about ourselves, we may know it about others as well. And knowing it about others, we may have the same compassion for them as we have for ourselves.
****************
*The first passage is from the Book of Ezekiel, 45.20; the second is from the Book of Job, 1.5. Both are from the New International Version, which happened to be the one nearest to hand as I wrote this. The first passage is from a passage instructing priests; the second is from the ancient poem about Job, the good man who suffers unexplained evil.
∞
Crime, Punishment, and the Great Community
How should we treat criminals? "The reply is: Treat them as if you loved them."
-- Charles S. Peirce, 4 May, 1892
-- Charles S. Peirce, 4 May, 1892
∞
Love Is In The Air
For my students, a little fun with logic. Consider the following syllogism. Does the conclusion (3) follow from the premises (1, 2)?
∞
The Best Rule in Writing
"The best maxim in writing, perhaps, is really to love your reader for his own sake." Charles S. Peirce, "Private Thoughts: Chiefly On The Conduct Of Life," lxxv, March 17, 1888.
I've been editing the Religious Writings of Charles Peirce for a few years now -- hopefully will publish them within the next few years -- and this is one of the passages I love coming back to. I'm not always sure how to put it into practice, but the idea of writing out of love for my reader reminds me that there is precious little that we do or say or make that does not affect the lives of others. Even this "private thought" from Peirce's journal, written a century ago, has shaped my thinking.
I've been editing the Religious Writings of Charles Peirce for a few years now -- hopefully will publish them within the next few years -- and this is one of the passages I love coming back to. I'm not always sure how to put it into practice, but the idea of writing out of love for my reader reminds me that there is precious little that we do or say or make that does not affect the lives of others. Even this "private thought" from Peirce's journal, written a century ago, has shaped my thinking.