“The definition of definition is at bottom just what the maxim of pragmatism expresses.”

— Charles Sanders Peirce

Letter to William James (8 January 1909)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "The definition of definition is at bottom just what the maxim of pragmatism expresses." by Charles Sanders Peirce?

Charles Sanders Peirce 121

American philosopher, logician, mathematician, and scientist 1839–1914

Related quotes

“Immoral (definition): Obsolete expression meaning "politically incorrect."”

Richard Summerbell (1956) Canadian mycologist

Abnormally Happy: A Gay Dictionary (1985)

“It is a fact that humans are multicellular eukaryotes with an internal digestive tract. It is also a fact that these criteria match the biological definition of an animal. But because I’m talking to a philosopher, we even have to argue the definition of “definition”. “A good definition explains concisely what something means“, “a statement expressing the essential nature of something“, “a statement of what a thing is“. So any multicellular eukaryote with an internal digestive tract is in fact an animal by definition. Once we determine that the criteria apply, we have no choice to deny the definition connected with that, especially not when the definition is deliberately well-established by expertise as this one is, rather than being an “accident of language” such as the apologist asserted.”

Aron Ra (1962) Aron Ra is an atheist activist and the host of the Ra-Men Podcast

Patheos, Philosophistry http://www.patheos.com/blogs/reasonadvocates/2017/04/12/philosophistry/ (April 12, 2017)

“Pluralist India must, by definition, tolerate plural expressions of its many identities.”

Shashi Tharoor (1956) Indian politician, diplomat, author

The Hindu, "After the Dust is Settled", April 15, 2001
2000s

“I define UNIX as 30 definitions of regular expressions living under one roof.”

Donald Ervin Knuth Digital Typography

Digital Typography, ch. 33, p. 649 (1999)

“No man, not even a doctor, ever gives any other definition of what a nurse should be than this — "devoted and obedient." This definition would do just as well for a porter. It might even do for a horse. It would not do for a policeman.”

Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) English social reformer and statistician, and the founder of modern nursing

Notes on Nursing (1860)

“There's definitely, definitely, definitely, no logic to human behaviour
...
There's no map
And a compass
Wouldn't help at all”

Björk (1965) Icelandic singer-songwriter

"Human Behaviour" (single; 1993)
Songs

“Odd that we think definitions are definitive.”

Larry Wall (1954) American computer programmer and author, creator of Perl

[199702221943.LAA20388@wall.org, 1997]
Usenet postings, 1997

“What modern art means is that you have to keep finding new ways to express yourself, to express the problems, that there are no settled ways, no fixed approach. This is a painful situation, and modern art is about this painful situation of having no absolutely definite way of expressing yourself.”

Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010) American and French sculptor

Louise Bourgeois: a web of emotions, 2010

“Greed and lust I can understand, but I can't understand the values of definition and confinement. Definition destroys. Besides, there's nothing definite in this world.”

Bob Dylan (1941) American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and artist

Neil Hickey TV Guide interview http://www.punkhart.com/dylan/interviews/sep_1976.html (11 September 1976)

“Rules necessary for definitions. Not to leave any terms at all obscure or ambiguous without definition; Not to employ in definitions any but terms perfectly known or already explained.”

Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and Christian philosopher

The Art of Persuasion

“The definition of definition is at bottom just what the maxim of pragmatism expresses.”

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Charles Sanders Peirce 121

Related quotes

Related topics