Skip to main content

Signs and Minds: An Introduction to the Theory of Semiotic Systems

  • Chapter
Aspects of Artificial Intelligence

Part of the book series: Studies in Cognitive Systems ((COGS,volume 1))

Abstract

Perhaps no other view concerning the theoretical foundations of artificial intelligence has been as widely accepted or as broadly influential as the physical symbol system conception advanced by Newell and Simon (1976), where symbol systems are machines — possibly human — that process symbolic structures through time. From this point of view, artificial intelligence deals with the development and evolution of physical systems that employ symbols to represent and to utilize information or knowledge, a position often either explicitly endorsed or tacitly assumed by authors and scholars at work within this field (cf. Nii et al., 1982 and Buchanan 1985). Indeed, this perspective has been said to be “the heart of research in artificial intelligence” (Rich 1983, p. 3), a view that appears to be representative of its standing within the community at large.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Buchanan, B.: 1985, ‘Expert Systems’, Journal of Automated Reasoning 1, 28–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chomsky, N.: 1965, Aspects of the Theory of Syntax. MIT Press. Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chomsky, N.: 1966, Cartesian Linguistics. Harper & Row, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chomsky, N.: 1986, Knowledge of Language: Its Nature, Origin, and Use. Praeger Publishers, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, D.: 1986, Introduction to Computer Theory. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fetzer, J. H.: 1981, Scientific Knowledge. D. Reidel, Dordrecht, Holland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fetzer, J. H.: 1985, ‘Science and Sociobiology’, in J. H. Fetzer (ed.), Sociobiology and Epistemology (D. Reidel, Dordrecht, Holland), pp. 217–246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fetzer, J. H.: 1986a, ‘Methodological Individualism: Singular Causal Systems and Their Population Manifestations’, Synthese 68, pp. 99–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fetzer, J. H.: 1986b, ‘Mentality and Creativity’, Journal of Social and Biological Structures (forthcoming).

    Google Scholar 

  • Haugeland, J.: 1981, ‘Semantic Engines: An Introduction to Mind Design’, in J. Haugeland (ed.), Mind Design (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.), pp. 1–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haugeland, J.: 1985, Artificial Intelligence: The Very Idea. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris, C. W.: 1938, Foundations of the Theory of Signs. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newell, A.: 1973, ‘Artificial Intelligence and the Concept of Mind’, in R. Schank and K. Colby (eds.), Computer Models of Thought and Language (W. H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco.), pp. 1–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newell, A. and Simon, H.: 1976, ‘Computer Science as Empirical Inquiry: Symbols and Search’, reprinted in J. Haugeland (ed.), Mind Design (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.), pp. 35–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nii, H. P. et al.: 1982, ‘Signal-to-Symbol Transformation: HASP/SIAP Case Study’, AI Magazine 3, pp. 23–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peirce, C. S.: 1955, Philosophical Writings of Peirce, J. Buchler (ed.) (Dover Publications, New York.).

    Google Scholar 

  • Peirce, C. S.: 1985, ‘Logic as Semiotic: The Theory of Signs’, reprinted in R. Innis (ed.), Semiotics: An Introductory Anthology (Indiana University Press, Bloomington IN) pp. 4–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rich, E.: 1983, Artificial Intelligence. McGraw-Hill, New York.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1988 Kluwer Academic Publishers

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Fetzer, J.H. (1988). Signs and Minds: An Introduction to the Theory of Semiotic Systems. In: Fetzer, J.H. (eds) Aspects of Artificial Intelligence. Studies in Cognitive Systems, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2699-8_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2699-8_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-55608-038-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-2699-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics