The Quantification Theory as a Phase in the Development of Charles S. Peirce’s Semiotic Idealism

Abstract

The paper aims to show that the quantification theory played a pivotal role in the development of Charles S. Peirce’s semiotic idealism. In the 1860s, Peirce argued that all names and judgments are general and used this claim as the basis for his semiotic idealism. This view was accompanied by the doctrine of scholastic realism, which supplemented his argument against individuality in all its forms. The quantification theory eventually helped Peirce to overcome his early idealism.