Download or read book The Road of Inquiry, Charles Peirce's Pragmatic Realism written by Peter Skagestad and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 1981 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scientist, mathematician, thinker, the father of pragmatism, the inspiration for William James and John Dewey, Charles Peirce has remained until recently a philosopher's philosopher. Peirce trod a fine line between the extremes of nominalism and realism, tough-minded pragmatism and metaphysical speculation. As Peter Skagestad makes clear, Peirce's system of thought was fragmented, incomplete, and sometimes inconsistent. But one overriding concern gives unity to the whole: the road of inquiry must never be blocked.