Chris Campbell
@ekaelement.bsky.social
Historian and philosopher of science with an interest in the foundational period of Chinese philosophy and the thoughts of Charles Sanders Peirce.
And perhaps, by the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce….
July 4, 2025 at 9:56 AM
And perhaps, by the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce….
The American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce, from childhood and throughout his life, suffered from trigeminal neuralgia, allaying his pain with opiates.
This, one of his many sketches, perhaps captures his suffering….
This, one of his many sketches, perhaps captures his suffering….
July 3, 2025 at 7:25 PM
The American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce, from childhood and throughout his life, suffered from trigeminal neuralgia, allaying his pain with opiates.
This, one of his many sketches, perhaps captures his suffering….
This, one of his many sketches, perhaps captures his suffering….
From the tree of Peirce….
July 1, 2025 at 7:06 PM
From the tree of Peirce….
‘Knowledge is a plastic, applicable stuff….’
Some chemistry references here (barytes)….also anybody else surprised at Peirce’s use of the word ‘stuff’….?
Some chemistry references here (barytes)….also anybody else surprised at Peirce’s use of the word ‘stuff’….?
May 17, 2025 at 8:50 PM
‘Knowledge is a plastic, applicable stuff….’
Some chemistry references here (barytes)….also anybody else surprised at Peirce’s use of the word ‘stuff’….?
Some chemistry references here (barytes)….also anybody else surprised at Peirce’s use of the word ‘stuff’….?
Here, Peirce is seeking to fathom Mendeleev’s arrangement of the known chemical elements, ordered by atomic weight.
May 11, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Here, Peirce is seeking to fathom Mendeleev’s arrangement of the known chemical elements, ordered by atomic weight.
Pragmatist philosopher Charles Peirce read chemistry at Harvard. Here, writing on an organometallic compound.
Passing ethyne (acetylene) gas through ammoniacal copper(I) chloride produces copper(I) carbide; when bubbled through ammoniacal silve
Passing ethyne (acetylene) gas through ammoniacal copper(I) chloride produces copper(I) carbide; when bubbled through ammoniacal silve
May 10, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Pragmatist philosopher Charles Peirce read chemistry at Harvard. Here, writing on an organometallic compound.
Passing ethyne (acetylene) gas through ammoniacal copper(I) chloride produces copper(I) carbide; when bubbled through ammoniacal silve
Passing ethyne (acetylene) gas through ammoniacal copper(I) chloride produces copper(I) carbide; when bubbled through ammoniacal silve
Peirce’s sketches accompanying his notes on acetylene.
May 10, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Peirce’s sketches accompanying his notes on acetylene.
[A]ll those bodies which compose the mighty frame of the world, have not any subsistence without a mind - that their being is to be perceived or known…
Of the Principles of Human Knowledge
Bishop George Berkeley, 1710
Of the Principles of Human Knowledge
Bishop George Berkeley, 1710
April 17, 2025 at 7:16 PM
[A]ll those bodies which compose the mighty frame of the world, have not any subsistence without a mind - that their being is to be perceived or known…
Of the Principles of Human Knowledge
Bishop George Berkeley, 1710
Of the Principles of Human Knowledge
Bishop George Berkeley, 1710
#CharlesPeirce and #MilesDavis - Blue and Green….
April 17, 2025 at 9:10 AM
#CharlesPeirce and #MilesDavis - Blue and Green….
Peirce applying mathematics to explore the ordering of the chemical elements as set out in Mendeleev’s arrangement….
April 12, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Peirce applying mathematics to explore the ordering of the chemical elements as set out in Mendeleev’s arrangement….
Peirce’s ‘Blue Period’…
Drawings by CSP.
Drawings by CSP.
April 9, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Peirce’s ‘Blue Period’…
Drawings by CSP.
Drawings by CSP.
The ‘strangeness’ that is particle physics:
‘Renormalisation’ is an anagram of ‘irrational meson’.
‘Renormalisation’ is an anagram of ‘irrational meson’.
March 29, 2025 at 9:59 AM
The ‘strangeness’ that is particle physics:
‘Renormalisation’ is an anagram of ‘irrational meson’.
‘Renormalisation’ is an anagram of ‘irrational meson’.
Shelley’sThe Mask of Anarchy’ offers some hope….
…’On his brow this mark I saw—
'I AM GOD, AND KING, AND LAW!’
'Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number—
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you—
Ye are many—they are few.’
…’On his brow this mark I saw—
'I AM GOD, AND KING, AND LAW!’
'Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number—
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you—
Ye are many—they are few.’
March 23, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Shelley’sThe Mask of Anarchy’ offers some hope….
…’On his brow this mark I saw—
'I AM GOD, AND KING, AND LAW!’
'Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number—
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you—
Ye are many—they are few.’
…’On his brow this mark I saw—
'I AM GOD, AND KING, AND LAW!’
'Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number—
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you—
Ye are many—they are few.’
Spring in Dorset…
March 22, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Spring in Dorset…
The American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce and the ancient Chinese Daoist thinker Zhuangzi share strikingly similar perspectives. Both emphasise the limitations of human knowledge, the fluidity of meaning, and the importance of adapting to uncertainty.
@BlueSky philosophers…
@BlueSky philosophers…
March 22, 2025 at 9:07 AM
The American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce and the ancient Chinese Daoist thinker Zhuangzi share strikingly similar perspectives. Both emphasise the limitations of human knowledge, the fluidity of meaning, and the importance of adapting to uncertainty.
@BlueSky philosophers…
@BlueSky philosophers…
And before tonight’s wonderful concert….
March 15, 2025 at 10:37 PM
And before tonight’s wonderful concert….
The lovely St Michael's Church, North Cadbury, Somerset.
January 20, 2025 at 12:31 AM
The lovely St Michael's Church, North Cadbury, Somerset.
Know contentment
And you will suffer no disgrace;
Know when to stop
And you will meet with no danger.
You can then endure.
Laozi, Ch 44
D.C Lao, trans.
And you will suffer no disgrace;
Know when to stop
And you will meet with no danger.
You can then endure.
Laozi, Ch 44
D.C Lao, trans.
December 30, 2024 at 9:58 AM
Know contentment
And you will suffer no disgrace;
Know when to stop
And you will meet with no danger.
You can then endure.
Laozi, Ch 44
D.C Lao, trans.
And you will suffer no disgrace;
Know when to stop
And you will meet with no danger.
You can then endure.
Laozi, Ch 44
D.C Lao, trans.
‘In the northern darkness there is a fish and his name is Kun. The Kun is so huge I don’t know how many thousand li he measures. He changes and becomes a bird whose name is Peng. The back of the Peng measures I don’t knowhow many thousand li across…’
#Zhuangzi
Watson, tran
#Zhuangzi
Watson, tran
December 20, 2024 at 11:55 PM
‘In the northern darkness there is a fish and his name is Kun. The Kun is so huge I don’t know how many thousand li he measures. He changes and becomes a bird whose name is Peng. The back of the Peng measures I don’t knowhow many thousand li across…’
#Zhuangzi
Watson, tran
#Zhuangzi
Watson, tran
Interestingly, in discussing the phrase ‘light of reason’, Peirce includes a quotation from Laozi:
‘Whoso useth reason’s light, and turneth back, and goeth home to its enlightenment, surrendereth not his person to perdition. This is called practising the eternal’ CP 2.24
‘Whoso useth reason’s light, and turneth back, and goeth home to its enlightenment, surrendereth not his person to perdition. This is called practising the eternal’ CP 2.24
December 19, 2024 at 6:57 PM
Interestingly, in discussing the phrase ‘light of reason’, Peirce includes a quotation from Laozi:
‘Whoso useth reason’s light, and turneth back, and goeth home to its enlightenment, surrendereth not his person to perdition. This is called practising the eternal’ CP 2.24
‘Whoso useth reason’s light, and turneth back, and goeth home to its enlightenment, surrendereth not his person to perdition. This is called practising the eternal’ CP 2.24
One of Mendeleev’s diagrams showing the reasoning towards his 1869 arrangement of the chemical elements.
Echoes here of Peirce’s,
‘Remember it is by icons only that we really reason, and abstract statements are valueless in reasoning except so far as they aid us to construct diagrams.’
Echoes here of Peirce’s,
‘Remember it is by icons only that we really reason, and abstract statements are valueless in reasoning except so far as they aid us to construct diagrams.’
December 19, 2024 at 2:16 PM
One of Mendeleev’s diagrams showing the reasoning towards his 1869 arrangement of the chemical elements.
Echoes here of Peirce’s,
‘Remember it is by icons only that we really reason, and abstract statements are valueless in reasoning except so far as they aid us to construct diagrams.’
Echoes here of Peirce’s,
‘Remember it is by icons only that we really reason, and abstract statements are valueless in reasoning except so far as they aid us to construct diagrams.’
‘Enter your skiff of Musement, push off into the lake of thought, and leave the breath of heaven to swell your sail. With your eyes open, awake to what is about or within you, and open conversation with yourself; for such is all meditation.’
Charles Peirce in Daoist mood?
Charles Peirce in Daoist mood?
December 17, 2024 at 11:41 AM
‘Enter your skiff of Musement, push off into the lake of thought, and leave the breath of heaven to swell your sail. With your eyes open, awake to what is about or within you, and open conversation with yourself; for such is all meditation.’
Charles Peirce in Daoist mood?
Charles Peirce in Daoist mood?
‘I say: the highest happiness has no happiness, the highest praise has no praise. The world can’t decide what is right and what is wrong. And yet inaction can decide this. The highest happiness, keeping alive—only inaction gets you close to this!’
Zhuangzi
Watson trans.
Zhuangzi
Watson trans.
December 17, 2024 at 11:09 AM
‘I say: the highest happiness has no happiness, the highest praise has no praise. The world can’t decide what is right and what is wrong. And yet inaction can decide this. The highest happiness, keeping alive—only inaction gets you close to this!’
Zhuangzi
Watson trans.
Zhuangzi
Watson trans.
‘So I say, Heaven and earth do nothing, and there is nothing that is not done.
Among men, who can get hold of this inaction?’
Zhuangzi
Watson trans.
Among men, who can get hold of this inaction?’
Zhuangzi
Watson trans.
December 17, 2024 at 11:04 AM
‘So I say, Heaven and earth do nothing, and there is nothing that is not done.
Among men, who can get hold of this inaction?’
Zhuangzi
Watson trans.
Among men, who can get hold of this inaction?’
Zhuangzi
Watson trans.