Quote from "Letters to Paul Carus"

Commens

Digital Companion to C. S. Peirce

‘Hypothesis [as a form of reasoning]’ (pub. 03.02.13-17:54). Quote in M. Bergman & S. Paavola (Eds.), The Commens Dictionary: Peirce's Terms in His Own Words. New Edition. Retrieved from http://www.commens.org/dictionary/entry/quote-letters-paul-carus.

Term:

Hypothesis [as a form of reasoning]

Quote:

As for the validity of the hypothesis, the retroduction, there seems at first to be no room at all for the question of what supports it, since from an actual fact it only infers a may-be (may-be and may-be not). But there is a decided leaning to the affirmative side and the frequency with which that turns out to be an actual fact is to me quite the most surprising of all the wonders of the universe.

Source:

Peirce, C. S. (1890-1913). Letters to Paul Carus. MS [L] 77.

References:

CP 8.238

Date of Quote:

1910 [c.]

URL:

http://www.commens.org/dictionary/entry/quote-letters-paul-carus