PANTHEON
ExploreBuild My Library
© 2026 Pantheon — an atlas of the ideas that shaped how we think.
person1860s-1914

Charles Sanders Peirce

Summary

Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914) was an American philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who founded pragmatism and semiotics. His theory of signs (semiotics) and his three categories of being (Firstness, Secondness, Thirdness) are among the most original contributions to American philosophy.

Core Contribution

Founded pragmatism and semiotics; one of the most original American philosophers.

Key Spikes & Highlights

  • pragmatism
  • semiotics
  • logic
  • American philosophy

Notable Works & Achievements

Collected Papers

Historical Influences

Kant Scottish common sense philosophy

Intellectual Lineage

American philosophy

Contemporaries & Peers

William James Josiah Royce

Minds Influenced

William James John Dewey semiotics information theory

Intellectual Posterity

No conceptual posterity found.

Discussing

Charles Sanders Peirce

Ask anything about Charles Sanders Peirce — their ideas, influences, contradictions, legacy.

Sign in to start a conversation.