Peirce, Sebeok, and the Semiotic Reformation on Contemporary Communications

Abstract

The sale sign says in bold twenty-inch font: 50% off. That sends off the message “there must be good buys in there.” You enter the store but you hardly find items on 50% mark-off. You complain and the sales attendant draws your attention to a four-centimeter text that reads “on selected items.” Why do we demand signs to be accurate? Rectitude in the representation and interpretation of signs makes sense only in view of communication. Communication entails the expression of one’s thoughts, feelings, desires, etc., with the intent of engaging another in an exchange of views or a dialogue. For this to take place, the creation of a modeling system becomes imperative. Communication in very simple terms entails an exchange of any kind of messages whatsoever. A message can consist of a sign or a string of signs transmitted from a sign producer, or sender, to a sign receiver or destination. This article argues that in whatever manner the sign is used to signify, the ultimate indicator of a successful transmission of messages in any system would be the conformity to a norm or an ideal. In fine, we unwittingly uphold the realist’s adage adaequatio