November 8th to 11th, 2004

Orlando de Carvalho Eliano
landosp@uol.com.br
Faculdades Integradas Rio Branco - Brazil

THE AGREEMENT OF OPINIONS AND THE TRUTH AS COMMUNITY OR PUBLIC CONQUEST

ABSTRACT
The fundamental aim of this article is the recording of some conceptual aspects linked with the theoretical problem of the relationship between opinion and truth, as well as of the implication with the community that both of these issues assume in the level of the agreement in public dimension. In this way, based on specific passages of Charles Sanders Peirce's texts, mainly those that are considered texts produced in the youth of the author, no less important if we take account of these themes, this study intends only to join some remarks related with the subject. Besides, this work intends to present some few remarks which may help the non-specialist reader who is sometimes concerned in understanding themes which maintain an undeniable novelty. It may certainly be said that it is not the case of verifying extensively - as well as in a deeper way - the natural connection between the theme of the opinion and the issues related with the methods and the aspects of theoretical complexity involved in Peircean Semiotics, consequently the real process of formation, development and fixation of beliefs, neither the theme of the truth in connection with doctrines such as Realism and Fallibilism. The intention is just to try to show, by another terms, the basis of the notion that "... the very origin of the conception of reality shows that this conception essentially involves the notion of a COMMUNITY ..." (CP 5.311 1868).

KEYWORDS: Opinion, Community,. Reality, Truth.

Center for Pragmatism Studies
Philosophy Graduate Program
Departament of Philosophy
Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo - Brazil