Peirce's Philosophy of Communication

Charles S. Peirce the founder of pragmatism was also the architect of a remarkable theory of signs that continues to puzzle and inspire philosophers today. In this important new book Mats Bergman articulates a bold new approach to Peirce's semeiotic through a reassessment of the role of rhetoric in his work. This systematic approach which is offered as an alternative to formalistic accounts of Peirce's project shows how general sign-theoretical conceptions can plausibly be interpreted as abstractions from everyday communicative experiences and practices. Building on this fallible ground of rhetoric-in-use Bergman explicates Peirce's semeiotic in a way that is conducive to the development of rhetorical inquiry and philosophical criticism. Following this path the underpinnings of a uniquely Peircean philosophy of communication is unearthed - a pragmatic conception encased in a normative rhetoric motivated by the continual need to transform and improve our habits of action.