Representatives

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The representamen (also: representative names ) is part of the triadic (triangular) character model of Charles S. Peirce (1839-1914) , along with the object and the interpreter . Put simply, the representamen is a symbol that stands for an object in a certain way.

If these similarities are clearly recognizable, it is an icon . If the connection between the sign and the designated object is arbitrary, one speaks of a symbol .

example

If you stand in front of a house, the house is the object . You can have certain properties, such as B. determine the number of windows or the family name of the residents, but not its exact mass, height or distance to Venus. So the object stands for the house, but not in every respect.

The representamen would be in this example, the highly simplified illustration of a house as a triangle on a square, in contrast to the object, the properties such. B. the family name, but has a rough idea of ​​the shape of a house.

The concept of a house that the observer of the representative name or sign makes is the interpreter . If you see the above-mentioned symbol for a house, you automatically imagine a very specific house. This idea can differ from the original object.

The object, representative and interpretant depend on the horizon or cultural background of the viewer. If you show a symbol for a tree to an Australian and a Northern European, the Northern European might imagine an apple tree or a fir tree, while the Australian might imagine a eucalyptus tree.

Comprehension problems

  • The representamen does not represent the object, but only has certain properties of the object. The word similarity with the verb 'represent' is misleading.
  • The object here is not the physically present thing, but only an idea of ​​it, which in many ways corresponds to the real object.
  • Interpretant should not be misunderstood here as the person who interprets something.

See also

literature