[Inquiry] Re: Examples Of Inquiry -- Discussion

[Jon Awbrey]

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EOI.  Discussion Note 2

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JA = Jon Awbrey
TG = Tom Gollier

Tom,

Someday I'll tell you the story of how I came to have
such tunnel vision this week, but now that I've read
your whole note carefully enough I will try to make
a better reply.

TG: Why wouldn't you diagram look like this?

o------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `|
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `o Sign (Sensory Cool Air, Dark Cloud)` ` ` ` ` ` ` `|
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` / ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `|
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `/` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `|
| ` Object o-----<| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `|
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `|
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `|
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `o Interpretant (Mental Cool Air, Dark Cloud = rain) |
| ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `|
o------------------------------------------------------------------------o
Figure 1'.  Sign Relation in Dewey's "Rainy Day Inquiry"

TG: That is to say the "cool air and dark cloud"
    is indeed a sign just as the interpretant is
    also a sign including the same elements and
    relationships plus a conlusion formally drawn
    from them.  If nothing else, "rain" can't be
    the object because it hasn't rained yet in the
    example.  Actually, I would propose it as the
    "ground", the characteristic by which the elements
    and relations both the sign and the interpretant
    are linked to the object.  The object, however,
    would seem to me to be all the elements and/or
    relationships that might go into producing signs
    and interpretants about the weather, the walk 
    home, or whatever context we choose.

I don't think that there's a unique way of assigning elements
to sign relational roles, in this example or any other, so I'd
only hope to argue that my choices are allowed by the definition
of a sign relation and that they explain some important aspects
of what is going on with regard to the inquiry in play.

The question that we come to once again is (1) whether
a sign relation necessarily involves causal components,
in the sense of 2-adic cause/effect relations between
some of its domains, or (2) whether it is essentially
a logical or information-theoretic relation among
three domains of elements.

If I read your about remark correctly, you seem to rule out
the possibility that a sign can come before its object in time,
perhaps on the basis that the denotative component is causal in
nature and directed from objects to their signs.

Let me know if I have read you right so far.

TG: Anyway, Jon, I'm glad to see you "flooding the bandwidth" for a
    change, although I'm sure there have been limits imposed.  How did
    that old song go? "We'll have fun 'til daddy takes the T-Bird away"?

It's fun^3, of course.

Jon

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