Charles Peirce

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This paper explains that Charles Peirce's theory called, "The Law of the Mind", was based on Peirce's belief that the concepts of evolution and philosophy were intricately connected and were part of the same process. The paper further explains that Peirce combined concepts such as synechism, tychism and agapism, terms that literally mean continuity, chance and love respectively, to arrive at his theory of "The Law of the Mind". These concepts, according to Peirce, together form the larger process called reality.

From the Paper:

"In this regard, his theory of agapism plays a crucial role. According to Peirce, it is agapism that gives man courage to move ahead in the unknown or take risks with his life. This is an interesting concept which is deeply grounded in ethical and religious teachings as Peirce often referred to God when explaining this theory. Peirce believed that growth comes from unconditional love. This meant that if a person is certain of receiving unconditional love no matter what he does, he is more likely to take risks and do something with his life. Peirce like Dewey subscribed to Darwin's theory of evolution but also maintained the growth spiritual as well as physical was subject to agapism and those who grow the most are the ones who believe in unconditional love. Agape is derived from Greek verb agapan which referred to caring for children and servants, people who are under one's care and responsibility. In the New and Old Testament, agape has been used in the context of God's unconditional love for mankind. Agape however must not be confused with sexual love as it tends to move in a downward direction and is basically spiritual in nature."

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