Finite semiotics: Cognitive sets, semiotic vectors, and semiosic oscillation

Abstract

The grounding of semiotics in the finiteness of cognition is extended into constructs and methods for analysis by incorporating the assumption that cognition can be similar within and between agents. After examining and formalizing cognitive similarity as an ontological commitment, the recurrence of cognitive states is examined in terms of a “cognitive set.” In the individual, the cognitive set is seen as evolving under the bidirectional, cyclical determination of thought by the historical environment. At the population level, the distributed “global” cognitive set is argued to be constrained to a manifold in which the cognition of individuals is determined only when their cognitive sets meet certain conditions in the world: a result seen as consistent with Lotman’s semiosphere.With these foundations in place, dimensional modelling of the semiosic field is inaugurated. Firstly, measures of cognitive similarity are formalized as cognitive “distance” and on this basis the concept of a semiotic vector is defined. Secondly, semiotic vectors are seen to shape a general pattern of oscillation in semiosis, and thus to imply zero points in semiosic potential. Thirdly, semiosic oscillation in individual agents is shown to be consistent with a novel diachronic or longitudinal interpretation of Greimas’ semiotic square expanded into a “semiotic pipe” in which cognition traverses an n-dimensional space structured by axes of oscillation. Finally, the expanded theory of finite semiotics is advanced as a useful basis for two new complementary disciplines: (1) a computational, mathematical science of “natural semiotic processing” (NSP) to trace and model semiotic vectors and oscillation; and (2) an ethical, rhetorical art of “technological influencing” (TI) to guide its inputs and applications.

Computational opposition analysis using word embeddings: A method for strategising resonant informal argument

“…Summarising for present purposes, finite semiotics grounds the notion of opposition in the more obvious and ontologically tenable concept of oscillation in thought: the tendency of our thoughts to vary in regular patterns over time [38]. It asserts that this patterning arises in response to the cumulative effects of our environments, which are typically rich in human artefacts 1 evolved to play a disciplinary role in thought.…”

“…However, the difficulty of using signs as a basis for statistical analysis has generally hindered this effort. A new theory of semiotics, called finite semiotics, has lately sought to address this disconnect by recasting the sign in terms of the finiteness of cognition [36][37][38]. Some of its underpinnings from traditional semiotics were flagged in 1.1.…”

“…Con gun control: If guns are controlled, men live in fear their sons will grow up to face death or oppression from unopposable governments. Figure 3, adapted from [38], illustrates how the patterns of thought implied by these statements engender both the issue and its oppositions. The two agents making the statements think about "gun control" using some common concepts such as "fear", and "grow up".…”

Veracity Dalam Pelaporan Nonkeuangan Proyek Komunitas

“…Pemahaman yang mengabaikan unsur-unsur bahasa (tanda bahasa) dapat menyebabkan kegagalan dalam memaknai informasi secara utuh (Thellefsen et al, 2018). Bentuk narasi dapat berupa rangkaian pengalaman, peristiwa, tindakan dari banyak bagian yang berbeda dan disatukan menjadi satu kesa tuan yang bermakna dan dihubungkan de ngan tujuan utama sehingga merefleksikan nilainilai yang mendasari pembuat narasi (Shackell, 2019;Stables, 2019). Selain itu, ragam budaya ataupun konteks yang mendasari dapat menyebabkan narasi disaji kan secara berbeda (Alexander et al, 2018) dan bahasa narasi dapat mengartikulasikan suatu hubungan (Rudyanto, 2019).…”