Existential Graphs: History and Interpretation

Francesco Bellucci, Ahti-Veikko Pietarinen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

Existential graphs are a notation for first-order logic (alpha and beta departments) and higher-order logics (gamma department) that Charles S. Peirce created in 1896. This chapter surveys the evolution of Peirce’s notational experiments with graphical notations, from his work of the early 1880s up to the discovery of existential graphs in 1896 and beyond. The chapter explains the main notational differences between Peirce’s logical graphs, early and late, including his algebraical systems, by means of two pairs of notational parameters, “linearity/non-linearity” and “type- / occurrence-referentiality,” and shows how Peirce was able to maintain the expressivity of his algebraical systems while abandoning linearity and type-referentiality in the logical graphs.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Oxford Handbook of Charles S. Peirce
EditorsCornelis de Waal
Place of PublicationNew York
PublisherOxford University Press
Chapter14
Pages240-260
Number of pages21
Edition1st
ISBN (Electronic)9780197548592
ISBN (Print)9780197548561
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 19 Feb 2024

Publication series

NameOxford Handbooks
PublisherOxford University Press

User-Defined Keywords

  • Charles S. Peirce
  • entitative graphs
  • existential graphs
  • logical notations
  • quantification
  • Logical notations
  • Quantification
  • Existential graphs
  • Entitative graphs

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