International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

Sign systems mediate the interactions between agents and their worlds. In Peirce's (1992, 1998) terms, an agent is a first. The principle of “firstness” refers to the property of existing in the world independently of other entities. Firstness entails relative autonomy: a first always encounters and interacts with something else that enables its autonomy to be achieved. This is what Peirce defined as “secondness.” A first is, in reality, always defined in terms of its interactions with a second. Finally, the interaction between a first and a second is always mediated by a system of relations that makes possible the encounter between a first and a second. This is “thirdness.” Thirdness refers to some principle of systematicity and organization in terms of which encounters between first and seconds are seen as not random but able to be interpreted. Thirdness provides the resources and the principles of organization whereby the interaction between a first and a second can be successfully coordinated and appropriately interpreted.A sign system has typically been conceptualized as a system of correlations of forms with meanings that exist in ordered hierarchies of relations. A sign system in this view makes possible the signs that people create in particular circumstances (→ Sign). Sign systems thus conceived have been conceptualized as networks of terms defined relationally. The terms ... log in or subscribe to read full text