The chemistry of relations : the periodic table examined through the lens of C.S. Peirce's philosophy

This thesis explores Charles Peirce’s reception of Dmitri Mendeleev’s periodic arrangement of the chemical elements, the further impact of chemistry on Peirce’s philosophy, such as his phenomenology and diagrammatic reasoning, and the relations between Peirce's theory of iconicity and Mendeleev's periodic table. It is prompted by the almost complete absence in the literature of any discussion of Peirce’s unpublished chemistry manuscripts and the lack of attention given to the connections between Peirce’s early study of chemistry and his later philosophy. This project seeks to make a contribution to this otherwise neglected area of Peirce scholarship.