Concepts and Percepts (without Objects)

Immanuel Kant wrote this famous chiasmos (figure of speech)

Gedanken ohne Inhalt sind leer.
Anschauungen ohne Begriffe sind blind.
KrV B 75.16. Note that Kant had earlier (B 74.19) used "Begriffe ohne Anschauungen" so his chiasmos might have
been symmetric before Peirce. His "ohne Inhalt" is unfortunate. Everything without content is empty!

Charles Sanders Peirce adapted this for a beautifully symmetric chiasmos about the fundamental dualism.

If Materialism without Idealism is blind,
Idealism without Materialism is void.

With a nod to Kant and Peirce, we can say

Kantcepts without Peircepts are empty.
Peircepts without Kantcepts are blind.

And although Freedom and Values are not a dualism, they too require one another and we can observe,

Freedom without Values is Absurd (Continental Existentialism).
Values without Freedom are Worthless (British Utilitarianism).


Link to this presentation: http://informationphilosopher.com/presentations/Biosemiotics/

Email me: BobDoyle@InformationPhilosopher.com or rodoyle@fas.harvard.edu

Biosemiotics Flow Chart Back to Start Thanks

From Information to Semiosis | U C Berkeley, 19-21 June 2015 | Bob Doyle | The Information Philosopher