THE POTENTIAL OF INTERPRETANT FOR DEFININGLEVELS AND DIMENSIONS OF SEMIOSIS

Анотація

This paper attempts to explore some potential contributions of Ch. W. Morris’ ideas on semiosis to
the development of semiotic theory. Proceeding from the conviction that semiotic study, following Peirce,
actually consists in analyzing the sign’s action, i. e. semiosis, the author exposes the views of Ch. Morris on
the latter and tries to provide evidence that some of his ideas concerning the dimensions of semiosis can be
viewed with reservation. It is claimed that the starting point for determining such dimensions is the interpretant
− the integral element of sign and the outset of semiotic inference. The triadic nature of interpretant is
substantiated and three types of interpretants ‒ primary, notional and cultural ‒ are singled out. It is brought
to light that each type of the interpretant “works” on a different level of semiosis: perceptive, informational
and evaluative, correspondingly. The correlation of interpretants and levels of semiosis is extended to establishing
relations between interpretants and objects. The analysis of these relations on different levels leads
to the substantiation of three dimensions of semiosis: code, informational, and cultural.
Keywords: Ch. Pierce, Ch. Morris, sign, semiosis, interpretant, object, levels of semiosis, dimensions
of semiosis.