Paniel Reyes Cárdenas provides an excellent overview of Royce’s philosophy that clearly shows his place in pragmatism. The study importantly highlights the mutual influences between Royce and C. S. Peirce. Royce’s idealism, pragmatism, logic, semiotics, and religious philosophy are presented as aspects of a unified system that culminates in a semiotic, processive theory of self and community. This pragmatist model will be of interest to researchers in every field who seek an alternative to overly individualistic, or overly collectivist, theories of self and community.

Kelly Parker, Grand Valley State University

This is an exciting and new look at Royce’s philosophical system—viewing it as a ‘Synthetic Semiotic Pragmatism.’ This provides the ground for future discussions and a needed revival of research on Royce’s philosophy.

Jacquelyn Kegley, California State University, Bakersfield

For Royce, truth is found in the whole, and Reyes Cárdenas’ A Semiotic Theory of Community provides a synoptic view of Royce’s account of the creation of communities and persons. His thematization of the family as a form of natural or ‘small’ community that both connects and estranges people is a particularly useful counterbalance to the attention drawn by Royce’s capital-letter communities (Beloved, Great, etc.). Overall, this is a compelling and fresh introduction to Royce’s philosophy.

Daniel Brunson, Morgan State University