Abstract

This seminar points to the ways in which Charles S. Peirce (1839 – 1914) – “the father of pragmatism” – enhances our understanding of educational processes. In giving an account of Peirce’s later semeiotic while pointing to some fruitful contributions from his “speculative rhetoric,” I here explore how Peirce helps to illuminate the dynamics of knowledge and learning in relation to the complex symbolic economies of today. In what ways may Peirce move beyond traditional notions of educational processes?

Torill Strand is a post-doctoral researcher at University of Oslo, Norway. Her research interests range from meta-theory to social epistemologies, educational theory, philosophy of education and semiotics. Her current research work concerns the later semeiotic of C. S. Peirce. Recently, she has guest-edited a special issue on Cosmopolitanism in the Making (Studies in Philosophy and Education), Educating the Global Village (Nordic Studies in Education) and a special issue on Peirce’s Rhetorical Turn: Prospects for Educational Theory and Research (Educational Philosophy and Theory). Some of her recent titles are The Cosmopolitan Turn. Recasting Dialogue and Difference (2010); Beyond Education: Metaphors on Creativity and Workplace Learning (2010); Peirce’s New Rhetoric (2010); and The Rudeness of Lived Experience. C. S. Peirce on the Dynamics of Knowledge and Learning (2011).