Re: Categorical Aspects of Abduction, Deduction, Induction

Ben & All,

I see that I omitted to give my initial thoughts on
that last paragraph of yours, so let me do that now.

BU: Where else does he say that the successions of his categories are
     "different in the different Modes of Being"?  Where in his other
     writings does he call his own categories "predicates of predicates"?
     It's hard not to think that by "Predicates of Predicates" he does not
     mean his own categories, and instead that, at most, 1st-intentional,
     2nd-intentional, and 3rd-intentional entities, on which he says that
     his "thoughts are not yet harvested," will end up being treated by him
     as Firsts, Seconds, Thirds — instances or applications of his categories.

There is nothing very exotic about predicates of predicates.  We use them all the
time without taking much notice of the fact or bothering to describe them as such.
For example, terms like "monadic", "dyadic", "triadic" are predicates of predicates.
When a phenomenon requires a k-adic predicate or a k-adic relation for its adequate
description, we say that the phenomenon has "k-ness".  So category k is the category
of phenomena that need k-adic predicates or relations for their adequate description.

When it comes to what Peirce means here by "Modes of Being", I guess I had
assumed from the words he used — Actuality, Possibility, Destiny — that he
was talking about the traditional triad of modalities, but I'm not so sure
about that now.  At any rate, those would not be the first words that come
to mind when I think of the categories.  I am more used to the paradigm of
Quality, Reaction, Representation and its later variants, and the only way
I could force an association would be by interpreting those modes of being,
or modalities, if that is what they are, in relational terms.  Shy of that,
I have the feeling that Peirce could talk us into any given order he chose
on any given day ex tempore.

But maybe my readings will bring more light tomorrow ...

Regards,

Jon

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