This paper proposes Gilbert Simondon’s ontogenetic theory of individuation as an overarching framework for multilevel semiosis. What renders this theory suitable for this role is the fact that it shares a significant part of its heritage with biosemiotics, which provides compatibility between them. Unlike many philosophers who have worked on individuation, Simondon envisages a general process of individuation that starts with a metastable preindividual. This process ultimately constitutes an axiomatisation of ontogenesis and manifests itself in three basic modes: physical, vital (...) and psycho-collective. In any of these modes a transductive operation is at work resolving the disparities of the preindividual whereby new structures emerge. Depending on the mode of individuation, the emerging structures can create new disparities that ask for further individuation. Simondon refers to such conversion of structure to operation and vice versa as allagmatics. He also extends his theory to scientific methodology establishing a healthy balance between reductionism and holism. His theory can be used to amend Peircean metaphysics to improve its compatibility with contemporary scientific discourse. (shrink)

The common conception of intelligence in terms of information processing has its origin in cybernetics and information technology. Its import into cognitive science and the humanities not only generates theoretical problems, but also constitutes the basis of methods and policies that have adverse impacts on intelligent agents. In order to demonstrate why this technological conception of intelligence is not suitable for addressing the intelligence of living agents, and why natural intelligence is artificially not imitable, first, the basic notions, formalisms, and (...) assumptions of the technological context are presented. Next, the cybernetic feedback scheme is modified by dropping the technological assumptions, and a more sophisticated closed-loop scheme is developed that is better suited for representing cognitive processes in living agents. With reference to the thus developed scheme, the capacity of achieving ontological expansion, via what will be called “internal restructuring,” is proposed as the criterion for intelligence. (shrink)

This paper asserts that the dominant mental models of a social system are shaped by the conditions at the time when the society first gains its identity and unity,and that the basic traits of these models are maintained to a great extent throughout that society’s subsequent social evolution. Based on this assumption, some basic traits of the mental models’ characteristics of today’s civilisations are expected to have their origins in the mental models of early human agricultural societies and city-states. Since (...) Mesopotamian myths constitute some of the earliest available records originating from that ancient period, several of these myths are analysed here to examine the roots of some fundamental epistemological assumptions of our contemporary society. (shrink)

We propose a general model that integrates meta-system transition theory with biosemiotics on the basis of an “evolvable window” metaphor. The evolution of the “window” proceeds via meta-system transitions, during which new windows are created iteratively on the “inner” side of the preexisting ones, generating a “telescope” growing inwards starting from the “outside”. The tendency of “inwards growth” of the “telescope” can be explained in terms of the following circular causality: (1) the tendency leading from unity towards individualisation, (2) individual (...) learning providing a basis for more complex semiotic interactions, (3) creation of additional, nonconflicting “values” leading to habit formation, (4) strong control bringing forth a unification at a higher (meta-system) level. Using the proposed metaphor we hope to provide clarity to the fluctuation between objectivity and subjectivity inherent to the circular causality loop described above. (shrink)

We propose a general model that integrates meta-system transition theory with biosemiotics on the basis of an “evolvable window” metaphor. The evolution of the “window” proceeds via meta-system transitions, during which new windows are created iteratively on the “inner” side of the preexisting ones, generating a “telescope” growing inwards starting from the “outside”. The tendency of “inwards growth” of the “telescope” can be explained in terms of the following circular causality: (1) the tendency leading from unity towards individualisation, (2) individual (...) learning providing a basis for more complex semiotic interactions, (3) creation of additional, nonconflicting “values” leading to habit formation, (4) strong control bringing forth a unification at a higher (meta-system) level. Using the proposed metaphor we hope to provide clarity to the fluctuation between objectivity and subjectivity inherent to the circular causality loop described above. (shrink)

The disciplines of cybernetics, semiotics and thermodynamics investigate evolutionary processes quite independently from each other. The aim of this paper is to draw the parallels and point out the possibility and necessity of a reconciliation between these disciplines. The concept of metasystem transition has been proposed by Turchin as a quantum of evolution from a cybernetic point of view. Semiotic processes are of prime importance for the realisation of metasystem transitions in the course of evolution. From a thermodynamic point of (...) view, the emergence of more complex, self-producing agents depends on the emergence of more advanced forms of semiosis. As an evolutionary consequence, more symbolic forms of semiosis that allow higher competence for abstraction and anticipation emerge. (shrink)

Prions, prion-related diseases and prion-like phenomena are not only the subjects of rapidly growing scientific research interests, but also appear to be interesting from a philosophical perspective. In this study, we first present a brief review of the current prion research that includes a conceptual expansion of the notion of “prion” as a pathogenic conformation of a specific mammalian protein, towards more general “prion-like phenomena”, that can sometimes assume important beneficial functions in a broad range of biological contexts. Next, we (...) introduce Gilbert Simondon’s theory of individuation, which is a philosophical framework applicable to all possible domains of becoming. In contrast to the common approach of dividing the realm of ontogenetic processes into distinct domains and treating them separately, Simondon distinguishes between different modes of the same process: i.e., the physical, vital, and psycho-collective modes. His theory thus appears relevant with regard to the notion of prion-like phenomena in the extended sense, which seems to provide a useful metaphor for better understanding different modes of individuation and transitions between them. In particular, the transition from the physical to the vital mode is closely related to some core questions of biosemiotics such as the emergence of life from non-life, as well as “how a molecule became a sign”, which today constitute blank spots where the classical specialised disciplines of natural sciences fall short of satisfactory explanations. When recent scientific findings on prion-related phenomena are interpreted in the context of Simondon’s ontogenetic framework, the question related to the origin of life in our provocative title gains a different meaning. (shrink)

Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells share the basic mechanisms of secretory protein synthesis. However, unlike prokaryotes, eukaryotic cells posses a system of compartments, the so-called endomembrane system, which are involved in the synthesis process. A comparison of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic protein synthesis processes and particularly the observation of the functional and structural similarity between the prokaryotic cell membrane (the interface to the cell exterior) and the membrane of the eukaryotic endoplasmic reticulum (one of the compartments within the endomembrane system) (...) inspire a description that refers to either the eukaryotic endoplasmic reticulum or its membrane or the endomembrane system altogether as a representation of the extracellular medium. However, unless the terms in such a statement are carefully analysed and refined the description would be just a colloquial usage of the concept of “representation” rather than a biosemiotic statement. Another problem associated with employing the concept of “representation” in a biosemiotic context is due to the fact that it may evoke the impression of a conscious mind as the “owner” of the representation. In this paper theories about the emergence of the eukaryotic endomembrane system, as well as its functionality within secretory protein synthesis will be analysed in order to specify in what sense the concept of “representation” can be employed in this context without implying consciousness. Such a study is expected not only to provide an insight into the conditions and assumptions under which this concept can be used for lower level biological processes but also to shed some light on how representations emerge in general. (shrink)