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Towards a Multi-Level Approach to the Emergence of Meaning Processes in Living Systems

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Abstract

Any description of the emergence and evolution of different types of meaning processes (semiosis, sensu C.S.Peirce) in living systems must be supported by a theoretical framework which makes it possible to understand the nature and dynamics of such processes. Here we propose that the emergence of semiosis of different kinds can be understood as resulting from fundamental interactions in a triadically-organized hierarchical process. To grasp these interactions, we develop a model grounded on Stanley Salthe's hierarchical structuralism. This model can be applied to establish, in a general sense, a set of theoretical constraints for explaining the instantiation of different kinds of meaning processes (iconic, indexical, symbolic) in semiotic systems. We use it to model a semiotic process in the immune system, namely, B-cell activation, in order to offer insights into the heuristic role it can play in the development of explanations for specific semiotic processes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Computer Engineering and Industrial Automation, FEEC – UNICAMP, Campwas, Brazil

    João Queiroz

  2. Research Group on History, Philosophy, and Biology Teaching, Institute of Biology, (UFBA), Wellington, New Zealand

    João Queiroz & Charbel Niño El-Hani

  3. Graduate Studies Program in History, Philosophy, and Science Teaching (UFBA/ UEFS), Fair of Santana, BA

    João Queiroz & Charbel Niño El-Hani

  4. Graduate Studies Program in Ecology and Biomonitoring (UFBA), Wellington, New Zealand

    João Queiroz & Charbel Niño El-Hani

  5. Department of General Biology, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia, Campus de Ondina, CEP: 41270–190, Ondina, Salvador-BA, Brazil

    João Queiroz

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  1. João Queiroz
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  2. Charbel Niño El-Hani
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Correspondence to João Queiroz.

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Queiroz, J., El-Hani, C.N. Towards a Multi-Level Approach to the Emergence of Meaning Processes in Living Systems. Acta Biotheor 54, 179–206 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10441-006-8177-0

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