--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whenever a man acts purposively, he acts…" description: "\"Whenever a man acts purposively, he acts under a belief in some experimental phenomenon. Consequently, the sum of the experimental phenomena that a pro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/charles-sanders-peirce-5105_belief_whenever-a-man-acts-purposively-he-acts_1218756.png" --- # Whenever a man acts purposively, he acts under a belief in… ![“Whenever a man acts purposively, he acts under a belief in some experimental phenomenon. Consequently, the sum of the experimental phenomena that a proposition implies makes up its entire bearing upon human conduct.” quote by Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/charles-sanders-peirce-5105_belief_whenever-a-man-acts-purposively-he-acts_1218756.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/charles-sanders-peirce-5105_belief_whenever-a-man-acts-purposively-he-acts_1218756.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/charles-sanders-peirce-5105_belief_whenever-a-man-acts-purposively-he-acts_1218756.png) > “Whenever a man acts purposively, he acts under a belief in some experimental phenomenon. Consequently, the sum of the experimental phenomena that a proposition implies makes up its entire bearing upon human conduct.” [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acts guided by belief in experimental ideas shape how propositions influence behavior. **In simple terms:** Beliefs in experiments drive actions. Key Takeaway Recognize underlying experimental assumptions. Themes philosophy epistemology human behavior Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - scientific research - policy making - personal decision making Key Concepts pragmatism belief experiment Questions to Reflect On - What experimental assumptions underlie your actions? - How do you test those assumptions? A Different Perspective Beliefs may be flawed or untested. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Phenomenon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phenomenon/) ## Related quotes > [“Scholars discern motions in history & formulate these motions into rules that govern the rises & falls of civilizations. My belief runs contrary, however.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/scholars-discern-motions-in-history-formulate-these-motions-into/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [“Scholars discern motions of history & formulate these motions into rules that govern the rises & falls of civilizations. My belief runs contrary, however.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/scholars-discern-motions-of-history-formulate-these-motions-into/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [A true proposition is a proposition belief which would never lead to such disappointment so long as the proposition is not understood otherwise than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/a-true-proposition-is-a-proposition-belief-which-would-never-lead-to/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [Mathematics is purely hypothetical: it produces nothing but conditional propositions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/mathematics-is-purely-hypothetical-it-produces-nothing-but/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [It has often been argued that absolute scepticism is self-contradictory; but this is a mistake: and even if it were not so, it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/it-has-often-been-argued-that-absolute-scepticism-is-self/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [Among the minor, yet striking characteristics of mathematics, may be mentioned the fleshless and skeletal build of its propositions; the peculiar difficulty, complication, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/among-the-minor-yet-striking-characteristics-of-mathematics-may-be/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [Looking out of my window this lovely spring morning I see an azalea in full bloom. No, no! I do not see that; though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/looking-out-of-my-window-this-lovely-spring-morning-i-see-an-azalea/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [If an opinion can eventually go to the determination of a practical belief, it, in so far, becomes itself a practical belief; and every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/if-an-opinion-can-eventually-go-to-the-determination-of-a-practical/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [“People are intimidated by a man who acts with no apparent regard for consequences. Behave as if you cannot be touched and no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/people-are-intimidated-by-a-man-who-acts-with-no-apparent-regard-for/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [No man who acts from a sense of duty ever puts the lesser duty above the greater. No man has the desire and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/no-man-who-acts-from-a-sense-of-duty-ever-puts-the-lesser-duty-above/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As man acts, God reacts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baal-shem-tov/as-man-acts-god-reacts/) [Baal Shem Tov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baal-shem-tov/) > [“The man who acts as his own lawyer has a fool for a client.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-hansen/the-man-who-acts-as-his-own-lawyer-has-a-fool-for-a-client/) [Joseph Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-hansen/) > [Man acts from adequate motives relative to his interest, and not on metaphysical speculations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/man-acts-from-adequate-motives-relative-to-his-interest-and-not-on/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-superior-man-acts-before-he-speaks-and-afterwards-speaks/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Mankind is made up of inconsistencies, and no man acts invariably up to his predominant character. The wisest man sometimes acts weakly, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/mankind-is-made-up-of-inconsistencies-and-no-man-acts-invariably-up/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) ## More by Charles Sanders Peirce > [If we are to define science, ... it does not consist so much in knowing, nor even in "organized knowledge," as it does in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/if-we-are-to-define-science-it-does-not-consist-so-much-in-knowing/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [It will sometimes strike a scientific man that the philosophers have been less intent on finding out what the facts are, than on inquiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/it-will-sometimes-strike-a-scientific-man-that-the-philosophers-have/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [One will meet, for example, the virtual assumption that what is relative to thought cannot be real. But why not, exactly? Red is relative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/one-will-meet-for-example-the-virtual-assumption-that-what-is/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [Generality is, indeed, an indispensable ingredient of reality; for mere individual existence or actuality without any regularity whatever is a nullity. Chaos is pure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/generality-is-indeed-an-indispensable-ingredient-of-reality-for-mere/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [... and it is probably that there is some secret here which remains to be discovered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/and-it-is-probably-that-there-is-some-secret-here-which-remains-to-be/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [Our whole past experience is continually in our consciousness, though most of it sunk to a great depth of dimness. I think of consciousness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/our-whole-past-experience-is-continually-in-our-consciousness-though/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [Theoretically, I grant you, there is no possibility of error in necessary reasoning. But to speak thus "theoretically," is to uselanguage in a Pickwickian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/theoretically-i-grant-you-there-is-no-possibility-of-error-in/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [Looking out of my window this lovely spring morning I see an azalea in full bloom. No, no! I do not see that; though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/looking-out-of-my-window-this-lovely-spring-morning-i-see-an-azalea/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [Fate then is that necessity by which a certain result will surely be brought to pass according to the natural course of events however…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/fate-then-is-that-necessity-by-which-a-certain-result-will-surely-be/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [If man were immortal he could be perfectly sure of seeing the day when everything in which he had trusted should betray his trust,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/if-man-were-immortal-he-could-be-perfectly-sure-of-seeing-the-day/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [Some think to avoid the influence of metaphysical errors, by paying no attention to metaphysics; but experience shows that these men beyond all others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/some-think-to-avoid-the-influence-of-metaphysical-errors-by-paying-no/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [The percept is the reality. It is not in propositional form. But the most immediate judgment concerning it is abstract. It is therefore essentially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/the-percept-is-the-reality-it-is-not-in-propositional-form-but-the/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [There never was a sounder logical maxim of scientific procedure than Ockham's razor: Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem. That is to say; before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/there-never-was-a-sounder-logical-maxim-of-scientific-procedure-than/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [And what, then, is belief? It is the demi-cadence which closes a musical phrase in the symphony of our intellectual life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/and-what-then-is-belief-it-is-the-demi-cadence-which-closes-a-musical/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [A hypothesis is something which looks as if it might be true and were true, and which is capable of verification or refutation by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/a-hypothesis-is-something-which-looks-as-if-it-might-be-true-and-were/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) [Explore all 103 Charles Sanders Peirce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [In business, as in politics, it is never easy to go against the beliefs and attitudes held by the majority. The businessman who moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/in-business-as-in-politics-it-is-never-easy-to-go-against-the-beliefs/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [There's no greatest moment in the arts. It's a life; it's a continuity thing. You can't have a great moment because it's spiritual. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-neiman/there-s-no-greatest-moment-in-the-arts-it-s-a-life-it-s-a-continuity/) [LeRoy Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-neiman/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) [Browse all 10,268 Belief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whenever a man acts purposively, he acts under a belief in some experimental phenomenon. Consequently, the sum of the experimental phenomena that a proposition implies makes up its entire bearing upon human conduct.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Sanders Peirce" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/whenever-a-man-acts-purposively-he-acts-under-a-belief-in-some/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Belief" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/whenever-a-man-acts-purposively-he-acts-under-a-belief-in-some/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/charles-sanders-peirce-5105_belief_whenever-a-man-acts-purposively-he-acts_1218756.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/charles-sanders-peirce-5105_belief_whenever-a-man-acts-purposively-he-acts_1218756.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/charles-sanders-peirce-5105_belief_whenever-a-man-acts-purposively-he-acts_1218756.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whenever a man acts purposively, he acts under a belief in some experimental phenomenon. Consequently, the…” — Charles Sanders Peirce", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles Sanders Peirce", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Whenever a man acts purposively, he...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/whenever-a-man-acts-purposively-he-acts-under-a-belief-in-some/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/whenever-a-man-acts-purposively-he-acts-under-a-belief-in-some/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```