Peircian Semiotics

From Geography

Origins

Peircian Semiotics refers to the theoretical construction of semiotics by Charles Sanders Peirce. He started writing on this theory somewhere in the 1860's, while he was also writing on his system of thee categories. Peirce referred to semiotics as commonly used in language, but he also used the word semeiotics. Some scientists use the word semeiotics as a specific reference for Peirce's theory on semiotics.

Signs & Thoughts

Peirce was always looking for ways to philosophically analyze thought processes and with emphasis on the scientific world views. This fundamental nature of inquiries is what shaped Peirce's theory on semiotics in a broad context. The sole goal for that wide theoretical approach was to answer the question: How does science work? Semiotics according to Pierce are defined in a triadic sign relation that constitutes action or relation. This triadic relation consists out of three subjects, the sign, the object, and the interpretant. So in essence this triadic combination is never an action of duality and therefor always consists of these three resolvable factors. (Peirce 1882) However Peirce had a different view on signs within thought:

"To say, therefore, that thought cannot happen in an instant, but requires a time, is but another way of saying that every thought must be interpreted in another, or that all thought is in signs" (Peirce 1868).

So in Peirce's perception all thoughts occur as signs, forming interpretations, in which the sign is a word that broadens the conceivable reality, which is not the given reality per say.

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References

• Peirce (1882). Introductory Lecture on the Study of Logic delivered September 1882. Johns Hopkins University Circulars, v. 2, n. 19. pp. 11–12
• Peirce (1868). Questions concerning certain Faculties claimed for Man. Journal of Speculative Philosophy v. 2, n. 2, pp. 103-14.

Contributors

• Published by Sander Linssen (4115597)