Cell Language Theory, The: Connecting Mind And Matter

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“6x9” b2861 The Cell Language Theory: Connecting Mind and Matter

6.3 The Peircean Theory of Signs

The American chemist, logician, and philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce

(1839–1914; see Figure 6.2) is widely recognized as one of the great phi-

losophers ever to emerge in North America. His theory of signs [94–99,

372, 494] have been attracting the interest of molecular biologists in

recent decades [22, 23, 91, 93, 383, 405, 482].

6.3.1 Peircean Definition of Signs

Although the study of signs can be traced back to the beginning of the

human history, the investigation of signs as a fundamental science did not

begin until the Portuguese monk John Poinsot (1589–1644) and C. S.

Peirce (apparently independent of Poinsot) undertook their comprehen-

sive and systematic studies of signs [281]. Peirce made a major contribu-

tion to philosophy by constructing his triadic theory of signs. Peirce

defined a sign as follows:

A sign, ... , is something which stands to somebody for

something in some respect or capacity. (6.3)

Figure 6.2 Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914), an American chemist, logician, and

philosopher. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sanders_Peirce#/

media/File:Charles_Sanders_Peirce.jpg.

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