Interpretants
Interpretants

Summary/Abstract: Jesper Hoffmeyer’s work is so rich, it is difficult to comment on bits in isolation. I believe, however, that I have a few words that might help to illuminate the quote above. Hoffmeyer (2008) takes a distinctly Peircean approach to semiotics both for exosemiotics and endosemiotics, so one must assume that he feels that the basic principles are much the same. Indeed, he points out that the distinction between exo- and endo- in biology is not clear-cut (2008: 213ff). His view is in contrast to well-known arguments by Marcello Barbieri (e.g., 2008, 2009) that the two differ significantly, with endosemiotics being fully satisfied by codes, while exosemiotics requires interpretation. Codes do not have, in any obvious way, a requirement for a Peircean interpretant (Collier 2008a: 778ff). I therefore believe that Hoffmeyer has it right.

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