Re: [xmca] Word Meaning and Concept

[Martin Packer <packer@duq.edu>]

Andy just recently sent me a series of messages with textual evidence for his reading of LSV. I haven't had time to read them yet, but perhaps he'll want to post them here? (Under the other thread title!)

Meanwhile, on this thread let's continue to discuss Peirce's view of meaning, Huw's view, Bahktin's view, and all. Let the sign-play begin!

Martin

On Jun 15, 2011, at 3:05 PM, Tony Whitson wrote:

> On Wed, 15 Jun 2011, Martin Packer wrote:
> 
>> Tony,
>> 
>> LSV's notion of word meaning, it needs to be based on textual evidence,
> not on plausibility.
> 
> I agree. I don't know if Andy has previously shared a text-evidence account, but I would certainly be interested.
> 
>> 
>> Martin
>> 
>> On Jun 15, 2011, at 10:52 AM, Tony Whitson wrote:
>> 
>>> Put most briefly, for anybody who is interested:
>>> 
>>> Signs potentiate interpretation. That is what signs do. That's what semiosis (the activity of signs) is. This is the _semiosic_ activity of triadic sign relations. The meaning of a word consists of the interpretation that the word (qua sign) potentiates.
>>> 
>>> Weights resist the muscular activity of lifting. This is dynamic physical action (not tradic semiosic activity). In this capacity, the weight is just a thing, and not a sign.
>>> 
>>> Of course weights, beyond just in their dynamic resistance, can also participate in sign activity (as apparently they did in Congressman Weiner's weight-lifting in the Gongressional gym).
>>> 
>>> On Wed, 15 Jun 2011, Huw Lloyd wrote:
>>> 
>>>> On 15 June 2011 14:53, Tony Whitson <twhitson@udel.edu> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> The OED reflects the existing usage of words.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Semiotics explores and attempts to account for the nature of signs and sign
>>>>> activity, including the nature of the meaning that signs do, and how signs
>>>>> do their meaning.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Semiotics is not about deference to common usage, any more than is CHAT.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>> Which is why distinct terms are used.
>>>> 
>>>> If by "The meaning of a word is something the word does", you mean the
>>>> active system of mental representations in which the word meaning (a set of
>>>> relations) inheres and participates with other word meaning in particular
>>>> contexts, then we need to dig into this system to identify which aspects
>>>> relate to the defined word, and which relate to the system in which it
>>>> participates.  Care must be taken not to confuse the defined thing with the
>>>> system it participates in.  Words (like the weights of weight lifter) don't
>>>> (on their own) do anything, the system they participate in does the doing.
>>>> 
>>>> This is simply my opinion.  It's fairly self-evident to me, and it's not
>>>> something I'm deeply interested in pursing, relative to other interests.
>>>> So, hopefully, I've answered the question put to me, and can let you get on
>>>> with your ruminations.
>>>> 
>>>> Huw
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>>> 
>>> Tony Whitson
>>> UD School of Education
>>> NEWARK  DE  19716
>>> 
>>> twhitson@udel.edu
>>> _______________________________
>>> 
>>> "those who fail to reread
>>> are obliged to read the same story everywhere"
>>>                 -- Roland Barthes, S/Z (1970)
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>> 
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> 
> Tony Whitson
> UD School of Education
> NEWARK  DE  19716
> 
> twhitson@udel.edu
> _______________________________
> 
> "those who fail to reread
> are obliged to read the same story everywhere"
>                  -- Roland Barthes, S/Z (1970)
> __________________________________________
> _____
> xmca mailing list
> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca

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