Abstract

If Bradley is a neglected philosopher, Bradley’s theory of signs is the most neglected part of his philosophy. There is no doubt that is has been overlooked in favour of the more famous doctrine of judgement, or in favour of the highly peculiar conception of thought, which notoriously entails its suicide. In this paper, I will claim that the latter are by and large a product of the former, which affects Bradley’s philosophy through to its end. Accordingly, I will not attempt, unless incidentally, to compare Bradley’s theory with contemporary formulations, nor will I criticise it from external points of view; rather, I will focus on its internal weakness and try to understand what kinds of philosophical problems it raises.