Abstract
The significance-effect is the right effect of meaning caused upon an interpreting mind. The right effect is understood as the right interpretation of an intended meaning caused by a sign communicated by an utterer. In the article, which is inspired by Charles S. Peirce's doctrine of signs, his semeiotics and his theory of communication, we account for the formal conditions that have to be present for the release of the significance-effect.
About the authors
Torkild Leo Thellefsen (b. 1969) is Assistant Professor at Aalborg University 〈tlt@hum.aau.dk〉. His research interests include pragmatic semeiotics, knowledge organization, and branding (from a semeiotic perspective). His recent publications include ‘The fundamental sign’ (2004); ‘Knowledge profiling: The basis for knowledge Organization’ (2004); ‘Making the knowledge profile of C. S. Peirce's concept of esthetics’ (with Bent Sørensen, 2004); and ‘Charles S. Peirce's ethics of terminology revisited’ (2004).
Bent Sorensen (b. 1971) is a graduate student at Aalborg University 〈bent@hum.aau.dk〉. His research interests include the normative sciences of C. S. Peirce, and the semiotics of metaphor. His publications include ‘Making the knowledge profile of C. S. Peirce's concept of esthetics’ (with T. Thellefsen, 2004); ‘The ethics of inquiry’ (with T. Thellefsen, 2005); and ‘The metaphor as an esthetical concepts formation in a Peircean perspective (with T. Thellefsen, 2005).
Martin Thellefsen (b. 1966) is an Assistant Professor at Aalborg University 〈mt@db.dk〉. His research interests include semiotics, knowledge organization, and philosophy of science. His publications include ‘Problems concerning the process of subject analysis and the practice of indexing: A semiotic and semantic approach towards user oriented needs in document representation and information searching’ (with T. Thellefsen and M. Brier, 2003); and ‘Pragmatic semiotics and knowledge organization’ (with T. Thellefsen, 2004).
Christian Andersen (b. 1973) is a PhD candidate at Aalborg University 〈christian@hum.aau.dk〉. His research interests include semiotics, cognition, and advertising eectiveness. His publications include ‘Reklamesemiotik mellem mening og virkning’ (2004); ‘Reklamekategorisering og kognition. Bidrag til en peirceansk reklamesemiotik’ (with C. Jantzen, 2004); and ‘Significance-eect, semeiotics, and brands’ (with T. Thellefsen and B. Sørensen, 2005).
© Walter de Gruyter
