Peirce’s Hermeneutical Circle1

Abstract

Peirce’s generalizing genius can be traced from his "first" classification of fundamental categories to the more mature elaborations of his later career. His self-proclaimed hermeneutical circle consisted of amplifying and ramifying classifications of theoretic issues by an organic or holistic method that is in principle inimical to nominalistic approaches. With its "difference" logic, T. L Short’s periodization of Peirce’s career-text is an illustration of a nominalistic approach.