Charles S. Peirce in Europe: His "Aesthetic Letters"

Abstract

Charles Peirce alwaysremained fascinated by the phenomenon of art, although his theoretical remarks about it are sketchy. His personal connection with art can be found in the letters he wrote during his five visits to Europe between June 1879 and September 1883, especiallu in the letters of his first trip (June 18, 1870 - March 7, 1871). In this paper we focus on those letters, which show how Europe produced in the young philosopher a deep cultural shock. First, historical and biographical data concerning Peirce´s first visit to Europe are provided, and the correspondence from that trip is presented; in the second place, we gloss Peirce´s comments about some of the places he visited. Finally, as a conclusion, we suggest tentatively how those perceptions could have influenced the thinking of Peirce. The feelings he experienced in Europe were seeds which bore fruit in later years, so as to yield a harvest in which new ways of understanding science and art would be developed.