Abstract
Karey Perkins makes the case for the view that Percy is more than a novelist with occasional random existential musings or themes. Although Percy begins in existentialism, his exploration of semiotics sparked his interest in language as the uniquely human symbolic activity. Moreover, Percy attempts a systematic philosophy based in Peirce’s semiotic, by applying semiotic principles not just in his philosophical essays, but also in his novels—something rarely mentioned, even by Percy himself.
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Notes
- 1.
See, Bell and Ketner 2006.
- 2.
Charles Sanders Peirce uses the term “sign” varyingly, as sometimes referring to a dyadic event, other times a triadic event. Walker Percy is more consistent, using the term “sign” to indicate a dyadic event in contrast to the term “symbol” to denote a triadic event. However, sometimes for Percy, “signs” can also be “signposts,” or clues to, evidence of, the divine, as in “Signposts in a Strange Land” or the “signs” that Will and Allie encounter in SC leading them on the path to each other.
- 3.
Whether some species besides humans are capable of symbolic activity is debated; Percy didn’t think so, while others thought that higher-level primates and even elephants, dolphins, or parrots engage in rudimentary symbolic communication or even culture activities. Percy’s thesis that sign and symbol are different still stands, even if his view of animals’ capacity for symbol is in error.
- 4.
According to Percy here, that is. Her trainers say she learned 1000 signs over the years and could understand 2000 English words; her gorilla partner, Michael, could sign 600 words. Steven Pinker feels this number may be exaggerated, however. At any rate, it is exponentially less than the human child’s fluency in language acquisition.
- 5.
Meaning, not directly or absolutely, but “in another mode of existence.”
- 6.
Percy spends much time discussing what the coupler might be, but never comes to a conclusion about the essence of it, other than that he speculates it is “inside” the organism (human), and he’s fairly certain it’s not material.
- 7.
Buber’s theology emphasizes intersubjectivity as well. Pragmatist Josiah Royce has a similar result in his The Problem of Christianity , which is heavily into CSP and semeiotic; Royce was one of Peirce’s few disciples.
- 8.
Nature suffuses Percy’s novels, as a kind of sacrament, a conduit to the transcendent, and Percy’s appreciation of nature directly opposes Kierkegaard’s “stark landscapes” (CWP, p. 123). Percy says of Hopkins , “It is as if the whole universe is filled with grace. It’s not just gracious Jesus, which is so Protestant” (CWP, p. 124).
- 9.
Except LG , although Percy says that “the implication was that Will Barrett was going back to the start, probably marry Kitty” (CWP, p. 205) (though by the time the sequel arrives, things have changed).
References
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Perkins, K. (2018). Diamonds in the Rough: The Peirce-Percy Semiotic in The Second Coming. In: Marsh, L. (eds) Walker Percy, Philosopher. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77968-3_5
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