The Peirce letters

The Peirce letters refer to a system developed by Charles Sanders Peirce to classify and differentiate types of signs in his semiotic theory. He identified three main categories: symbols, icons, and indexes. Symbols rely on social conventions (e.g., words); icons represent their objects through similarity (e.g., a portrait); and indexes show a direct connection to their objects (e.g., smoke indicating fire). This framework helps us understand how we interpret signs and communicate meaning in various contexts, providing insights into language, art, and even everyday interactions.