Peircean Semiotics

Peircean semiotics is the study of signs and how they convey meaning. Developed by Charles Sanders Peirce, it divides signs into three categories: icons (which resemble what they represent), indices (which are directly connected to their objects), and symbols (which are linked to their meanings by social conventions). For example, a photograph is an icon of the subject, smoke is an index of fire, and words are symbols that acquire meaning through language. Peirce's framework emphasizes that understanding signs involves interpreting their relationships and contexts, highlighting the dynamic nature of meaning-making in communication.