An Interpretation Of Peirce's Existential Graphs
Abstract
The American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce has come to be regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern day logic. One of his most original contributions is the logical system called existential graphs. Through the existential graphs, Peirce sought a means of evaluating the workings of necessary inference. Peirce develops the existential graphs in three sections, the alpha graphs, beta graphs, and gamma graphs. The purpose of this study is to offer a coherent interpretation, complete with examples, of Peirce’s existential graphs. A careful evaluation of Peirce's notes on the existential graphs shows the alpha graphs to be a version of propositional logic and the beta graphs to be a version of quantificational logic. The gamma graphs, however, are not as fully developed as modern day modal logic.
Description
Program year: 1996/1997Digitized from print original stored in HDR
Subject
Charles Sanders Peircemodal logic
existential graphs
propositional logic
quantificational logic
Citation
Mobley, Michele Anne (1987). An Interpretation Of Peirce's Existential Graphs. University Undergraduate Fellow. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /CAPSTONE -MobleyM _1987.