Observership, 'knowing' and semiosis

Article


Cobley, P. 2018. Observership, 'knowing' and semiosis. Cybernetics & Human Knowing. 25 (1), pp. 23-47.
TypeArticle
TitleObservership, 'knowing' and semiosis
AuthorsCobley, P.
Abstract

This article asks how future semiotic research, particularly with a biosemiotic orientation, will incorporate a theory of observership. The article take its cue from Sebeok's (1986, 1991a, 1991b) comments on John Archibald Wheeler's conception of the 'participatory universe' and attempts to explicate the relevance of Wheeler's (1994, 1998) philosophy of science for semiotics. The article argues that the quantum view of observership aligns with that of semiotics in that both envisage observation as a field of modification. The article seeks to contribute to recent key debates in the field on 'knowing' sciences on relation and cybersemiotics It develops some of the themes foreshadowed towards the end of an earlier article outlining a future orientated observership in contrast to a vis a tergo perspective.

Research GroupEnglish Language and Literature
PublisherImprint Academic
JournalCybernetics & Human Knowing
ISSN0907-0877
Electronic1756-6177
Publication dates
Print01 Jan 2018
Online30 Apr 2018
Publication process dates
Deposited21 Sep 2018
Accepted14 Oct 2017
Output statusPublished
Accepted author manuscript
Copyright Statement

This is an author's accepted manuscript version of an article published by Imprint Academic in the journal 'Cybernetics and Human Knowing'.
The final published version is available via ingenta: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/imp/chk/2018/00000025/00000...

Web address (URL)http://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/imp/chk/2018/00000025/00000001/art00003
LanguageEnglish
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