Exam 2 (Peirce)

Question 1

What tradition is pierce associated with?

Answer 1

Semiotic tradition

Question 2

What is the focus of pierces theory?

Answer 2

• How signs function in the mind

- Meaning is consistently changing throughout process.

Question 3

What is Pierces favorite number?

Answer 3

3

Question 4

What are Pierce’s 3 states of mind

Answer 4

1. Feeling - Simple awareness of something (ex-simple awareness of something (ex-these is a whistle noise)
2. Reaction - Sense of acting and being acted upon (ex - Opens door to see where the whistle is coming from)
3. Thought - Discovering a rule that connects action and reaction (ex - Figuring out that the whistle stops when the Door is open. - Your thinking)

Question 5

How does the three states of mind process relate to signs?

Answer 5

Symbols are tied to our though process. (ex- It Helps us learn signs)

Question 6

What are Pierce’s three interests on can take in a thing?

Answer 6

1. Primary Interest - It self (interested in a thing at face value Ex - “Thinking of the color “Red”
2. Secondary interest - We may have a secondary interest in it, on accent of its reactions with other things.
3. Mediatory interest - Something that conveys meaning about something els (ex - Seeing smoke, means Fire)

Question 7

Which interest Regards the thing as a sign?

Answer 7

Pierce said something is a sign when we have a (Mediatory) interest in it, so it conveys an idea about a thing.

Question 8

What are Pierces three components of a sign (triadic Composition)

Answer 8

1. Physical Form - (ex - seeing smoke)
2. A concept in somebody’s mind - (Ex - Association with smoke and fire)
3. Object or situation wo which a sign refers to - (ex - A particular Fire)

Question 9

What are Pierce’s 3 kinds of signs?

Answer 9

1. Icon - The signifier is perceived as resembling or imitating the signified (ex - A portrait, scale model, metaphors, sound, effects, imitating figures)
2. Index
   - The signifier is directly connected
   - ‘Natural Signs’ - (Smoke, thunder)
   - Signals - (Knock on the door, phone ring)
   - Pointers - (pointing finger, directional sign
3. Symbol - The signifier is arbitrary or purely conventional (ex - Words, Alphabetic letters, numbers, morse code, traffic lights, national flags, some gestures)

Question 10

How do signs work together in communication?

Answer 10

• Language (symbols) are used with nonverbal (icons, indices) when talking.
• Signs often combine iconic, indexical and symbiotic elements (ex - Traffic Signals)

Question 11

Why can the same physical object or event (signifier) be more than one kind of sign?

Answer 11

• Picture of Lightning storm
  - Icon (Its a picture of a lightning storm)
  - Index (Lightning means storm, thunder)
  - Symbol (Lightning means danger)

Question 12

What does it mean to say that symbols grow?

Answer 12

Developed out of other signs, spread among people, change meaning. (ex - “Moist” didn’t freak me out before Zac)

Question 13

How does Peirce frame problems of shared meaning?

Answer 13

• Meaning depends on experience (ex - My meaning of knee pain)
• Meaning is consistently changing (Role of thought process)
• We share meaning is when we can anticipate each others reactions (pragmatic philosophy)

Question 14

What does pragmatic philosophy mean?

Answer 14

The consequence of knowing (ex - What is the consequence of my mom knowing about my piercing?)