Semiosis & Sign Exchange

design for a subjective situationism, including conceptual grounds of business information modeling

Also available as a single pdf file (ca. 2.7 Mb). See also Amsterdam University’s Dissertations Online.

 

 

table of contents

 

prelude 1
1. Introduction
1.1 Answering a vital question
1.2 An outline of the treatise
1.3 Succinct guidelines for reading
1.4 The variety of differences with unity
1.5 Science as design
1.6 A paradigmatic design
1.7 The paradigm case of information modeling
1.8 On a postmodern introduction
1.9 Reorientation against extrapolation
1.10 Part i: deconstruction of shared meaning 
1.11 Part ii: compliance through exchange
1.12 An additional note on method

 

part i  individual sign user

prelude 2
2. Developing the ground of Peirce
2.1 The perspective of the user
2.2 Dynamics of triads
2.3 From start to finish
2.4 Pragmatics’ poor cousin
2.5 The reappearance of an idea
2.6 From triads to pentads
2.7 Hexadic dynamics

prelude 3
3. Subjective situationism: postmodern ontology
3.1 An experimental perspective
3.2 An engineering attitude
3.3 Explicit axioms
3.4 Questions and answers
3.5 A special kind of ontology
3.6 Situations objectified, too

prelude 4
4. Metapattern: modeling as enneadic sign engineering
4.1 Model as sign type
4.2 Traditional modeling practice
4.3 Modeling with a difference
4.4 Structuralism as method
4.5 Sign in the ennead: context, signature and intext
4.6 Relative configurations

prelude 5
5. Critical synopsis of Eco’s semiotics
5.2 Centralized communication
5.3 Culturalized reality
5.4 Comparing interpretations
5.5 Application of the ennead
5.6 A theory of repairs
5.7 An anticipatory critique
5.8 Fear of idealism

prelude 6
6. Schopenhauer, and the limits of rational signs
6.1 A structural theory beyond the mind
6.2 A semiotic reconstruction
6.3 A proposal for empathy
6.4 Convergent schemes
6.5 Toward a group picture of sign users

 

part ii anatomy of meaning

prelude 7
7. The political nature of human exchange
7.1 Thematic constraints
7.2 Politics of modeling
7.3 Meaningful exchanges
7.4 Irreverent suggestions
7.5 A natural escalation of the sign

prelude 8
8. Requests for compliance
8.1 From prospects to suspects
8.2 In search of interest compliance
8.3 Meaningful memory of relationship
8.4 The group as personalized abstraction
8.5 Power and trust
8.6 Limits and opportunities of empathy
8.7 Focal dynamics and structure types

prelude 9
9. Austin’s unhappy illocution
9.1 In the interests of discussion
9.2 An adolescent’s diary
9.3 The lure of action
9.4 Mistaken primacy of the language system
9.5 Formulas for failure
9.6 Circular reasoning
9.7 Sign user-centered analysis

prelude 10
10. Writing acts on Searle
10.1 Analytical authority of the speaker
10.2 Rules: description versus prescription
10.3 The overrated power of language
10.4 Beyond the speech actor
10.5 What’s in a game?
10.6 A need for radical reorganization
10.7 Theoretical convergence through reduction
10.8 Reason in control
10.9 Intentional literalism
10.10  Much ado about nothing

prelude 11
11. Mead in the neighborhood of meaning
11.1 Lost opportunities for inspiration
11.2 Opposing quadrants
11.3 Empathy, not absolute solidarity
11.4 Triadic convergence
11.5 Social instrumentality
11.6 Full spectrum of behavior

prelude 12
12. Habermas on reason against reason
12.1 Empathy as a structural concept
12.2 Two meanings of reason
12.3 Communicatieve action as idealized construct
12.4 Three grounds of agreement
12.5 A psychological ground, after all
12.6 Strategic action
12.7 Intermediary exposition
12.8 Integrating speech act theory
12.9 Life world against system world
12.10  Against theoretical fragmentation

prelude 13
13. Suggestions for theoretical practices
13.1 Arena of interests
13.2 Essence of difference
13.3 Enneadic dynamics
13.4 Trusted representatives, leadership, etcetera
13.5 Respectful application of power
13.6 Professional modeler
13.7 Modeling as scientific discipline

 

appendix: KnitbITs®

bibliography
index of names

summary (in Dutch): Semiosis & Tekenverkeer

postscript

about the author

 

 

© 2002, web edition 2002.
Also published in: Semiosis & Sign Exchange (Information Dynamics, 2002).