The article presents a research which examines the conception of philosopher Charles Peirce of reasoning, based on his reflection on the normative sciences and their heirarchical relations. Topics include Peirce's rejection of the attempt of philosopher Christoph Sigwart to ground logical soundness in subjective feeling, Peirce's pragmatic understanding of truth, and the problem of objectivity. The link between a affectively involved agent and a deliberately conducted inquiry is discussed.