Peirce (1877) identifies four methods of fixing belief: tenacity, authority, reasoning a priori, and science. The method of science is superior to others because it is the only one that requires belief to coincide with reality.
| Name | Description | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Method of tenacity | When an individual sticks arbitrarily to one view, such that truth becomes private and individual. Note that because this method relieves the de discomfort of doubt, it is not fully irrational. | - Maintains individual peace of mind by removing doubt | - Inconvenient when beliefs do not align with practical outcomes - Challenged if one accepts that others’ thoughts can be equal to one’s own |
| Method of authority | When an institution specifies and teaches valid beliefs, suppressing any contrary thoughts. | - Fixes belief in a community, rather than a mere individual - “Mental and moral superiority” to the method of tenacity | - Inevitably leads to humankind’s worst atrocities and cruelties - Will always be “intellectuals” in society that prevent its absolute efficacy |
| Method of apriority | When conclusions are drawn from “agreeable” foundational premises that are not directly observed. Examples include metaphysical philosophy, conceptions of art. | - “More intellectual and respectable” than the previous methods | - Similar to the method of authority, belief depends on accidental circumstances (in society), and therefore does not eliminate doubt - A priori reasoning makes inquiry like the development of taste, after Peirce |
| Method of science | When truth is reached by perceiving “Reals” whose characteristics do not depend on human opinion. | - Facts depend on “external permanencies” - No doubt arises from its practice |