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 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 |