Helmut, List: As I have said before, it seems to me that an interpreter's expectation is a determination of that individual quasi-mind by *previous *signs; hence, it indeed pertains to the *object *of any sign that is *currently *determining that quasi-mind, not the *interpretant *of that particular sign. However, according to Peirce ...
- Semiosis always and only proceeds in one direction, from the object through the sign toward the interpretant. - Every sign determines its interpretant to stand in the same triadic relation to its object as that sign itself does. - By definition, every sign's *dynamical *object is external to that sign, independent of it, and unaffected by it. Therefore, every sign's *dynamical *object is likewise external to its interpretant, independent of it, and unaffected by it; so, it is *not *the case that "the interpretant then determines the dynamical object." However, the dynamical object *of that interpretant* (as another sign) now includes the very sign of which it is the interpretant, and the dynamical object of any subsequent interpretant (as yet another sign) includes that previous interpretant, and so on. Kelly A. Parker summarizes this nicely in his 1992 book, *The Continuity of Peirce's Thought*. KAP: The dynamical object in each successive representation in the process is necessarily different from that of its predecessor. The dynamical object of the first representation is the real universe at that time, and the immediate object is an abstraction consisting of some aspects of this reality. The next representation, however, *cannot *have exactly the same dynamical object. The real universe is at that point populated by at least one additional entity--the first representamen itself. Every successive representation in the semeiotic process thus has as its dynamical object not just the universe which the first representamen represented, but that universe *plus *the first representamen itself. (p. 148) I add my usual disclaimer that whenever we discuss seemingly discrete objects, signs, and interpretants, we are referring to artifacts of analysis that we have prescinded from the real and continuous process of semiosis. Regards, Jon Alan Schmidt - Olathe, Kansas, USA Structural Engineer, Synechist Philosopher, Lutheran Christian www.LinkedIn.com/in/JonAlanSchmidt / twitter.com/JonAlanSchmidt On Thu, Sep 24, 2026 at 3:04 AM Helmut Raulien <[email protected]> wrote: > Gary, List, > > I think, you are right. I like yout first mentioned term "shared > expectations" better, than "habits of interpretation", though both terms I > find correct. But I suspect the term "habit" to have a pseudo-explanatory, > and too generalizing, quality, or at least to me it seems so. I admit, that > this feeling may be caused by the common-sense understanding of "habit" to > be a not reflected piece of personal grounds of behavior. > > Some weeks before, I have come to my conclusion, that expectations (now > I´d say, especially shared ones too) are a part of the dynamical object. So > then, in a semiosis, not only the interpretant, and with it the following > signs, is affected, influenced, determined, but via the interpretant the > dynamical object as well. > > I now suspect (maybe though due to not enough knowledge of mine), that > Perircean semiotics thoroughly analyses the determination path from the > object to the sign and then to the interpretant, but not enough what > happens afterwards. I guess, the interpretant then determines the dynamical > object, or at least its change. The new dynamical object then determines > the new sign, > > So, the interpretant not only is an interpretation, but as well a > structure-changing agent. The structure of a semiotic system is situated in > the dynamkical objects. So, structure is secondness, and not, as I had > thought some time before, thirdness. This I think is in accord with Peirces > concept of "Altersense", which, I think, includes memory, and Luhmann, for > whom the structure of a social system is the expectations and the > expectations of expectations. > > Best, > Helmut >
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