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AUTHORITY AND FREEDOM
From THE WISDOM OF C. S. PEIRCE A PROTEST AGAINST OBSCURANTISM
Quotes are from CP and are Peirce’s. My comments are quoteless.
CP 60 “… a central authority ought to determine the beliefs of the entire community. As far as morals and religion go, this plan admirably fulfills its purpose of producing uniformity. But in order that it may do this, it is desirable that there should be another less absolute authority which shall declare, not infallibly but yet with a weight of collective learning, the propositions which science from time to time puts out of reasonable doubt, and which shall aid the researches of competent investigators. The value of such services in the development of science is immense; though they are accompanied by very serious disadvantages in not allowing to unofficial studies the weight which ought to be accorded to them.”
Peirce is in his ought mode which is the proper mode of thinking about how things should be. We all know that the very idea of a central authority is dead at the starting gate.
Why then does Triadic Philosophy suggest that we think in three stages rather than two. That is an exercise of authority.
I shall cut to the chase, there is only one thing that has authority and it is called truth.
Truth is not an opinion, it is a law, something that can be shown to work. It is in Peirce’s words “out of reasonable doubt.”
My contention is that Triadic Philosophy is merely a pointer to how things really are.
Peirce’s belief is much the same. He says as much.
We are souls. The one authority we have is ourselves. We choose all we undertake and express.
We do it binary and end up enmeshed in conflict. We say No, go higher. We end up consulting conscience and considering values.
We see truth and beauty as the poet Keats did – as fused. As all we need to know.
Authority is not a tinpot dictator acting like King for a Day.
It is how things really are.
