For a New Logic of the Proposition: Peirce and the Concept of “Rhema”

Abstract

The paper aims to illuminate Peirce’s original interpretation of the syntax and logic of propositions, with special reference to his formulation of the 1890s. By gathering the fruits of his studies in the logic of relatives, and his reflections on non-Indo-European languages, in these years the author begins to provide a new, non-Aristotelian view of the proposition, characterized by his semiotic approach. In particular, it will be examined the crucial role of the “rhema” (or “rheme”), which allows a different configuration of propositions, in comparison with the classical tradition of Western Philosophy, unraveling the logical, grammatical, as well as philosophical, implications of its centrality.