ERIC Number: EJ685909
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005-Apr
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
Reference Count: 18
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1857
Belief, Doubt and Reason: C. S. Peirce on Education
Cunningham, Donald J.; Schreiber, James B.; Moss, Connie M.
Educational Philosophy and Theory, v37 n2 p177-189 Apr 2005
In this paper, we explore Peirce's work for insights into a theory of learning and cognition for education. Our focus for this exploration is Peirce's paper The "Fixation of Belief" (FOB), originally published in 1877 in "Popular Science Monthly". We begin by examining Peirce's assertion that the study of logic is essential for understanding thought and reasoning. We explicate Peirce's view of the nature of reasoning itself--the characteristic guiding principles or "habits of mind" that underlie acts of inference, the dimensions of and interaction between doubt and belief, and his four methods of resolving or "fixing" belief (i.e., tenacity, authority, "a priori", and experimentation). The four methods are then juxtaposed against current models of teaching and learning such as constructivism, schema theory, situated cognition, and inquiry learning. Finally, we discuss Peirce's modes of inference as they relate educationally to the resolution of doubt and beliefs and offer an example of belief resolution from an experienced teacher in a professional development environment.
Descriptors: Educational Philosophy, Inferences, Constructivism (Learning), Beliefs, Logical Thinking, Active Learning, Inquiry, Abstract Reasoning
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: N/A

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