A general definition of interpretation and its application to origin of life research |
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Authors: | Andrew Robinson Christopher Southgate |
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Institution: | (1) University of Exeter, Exeter, UK;(2) 11 Forde Park, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 1DB, UK |
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Abstract: | We draw on Short’s work on Peirce’s theory of signs to propose a new general definition of interpretation. Short argues that
Peirce’s semiotics rests on his naturalised teleology. Our proposal extends Short’s work by modifying his definition of interpretation
so as to make it more generally applicable to putatively interpretative processes in biological systems. We use our definition
as the basis of an account of different kinds of misinterpretation and we discuss some questions raised by the definition
by reference to parallel problems in the field of teleosemantics. We propose that interpretative responses fulfilling the
criteria of our definition may be made by relatively simple molecular entities and we suggest two specific empirical applications
of the definition to experimental work in the field of origin of life research. Our wider aim is to suggest that a well formulated
naturalistic definition of interpretation will allow a re-evaluation of the role of semiotic phenomena in biological systems,
including the generation of empirically testable hypotheses. |
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