Charles Morris

Charles William Morris’s Writings on the General Theory of Signs

Charles William Morris’s Writings on the General Theory of Signs (1971) is an investigation of the syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic relations of linguistic and non-linguistic signs, and is an examination of the roles which various kinds of signs may play in influencing human behavior. Morris introduces a terminology with whichto describe sign phenomena, and presents a theory of signs which defines signs as stimuli to patterns of behavior. Morris explains how ‘semiotic’ (the science of signs) may develop within the context of a science of behavior, and describes the role which semiotic may play in unifying biological, psychological, social, and humanistic sciences.
Morris describes the role which a science of signs mayplay in analyzing language as a social system of signs, and explains that language may be governed by syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic rules. Syntactic rules may determine which combinations of signs may function as grammatical statements. Semantic rules may determine the conditions under which signs may be applicable to objects or to situations. Pragmatic rules may determine the conditionsunder which sign-vehicles may function as signs. Morris describes the role which semiotics may play in the development of a theory of language, and explains that language may be defined not only by the rules which govern the combinations of its signs, but by the rules which govern the signification of its signs, and by the rules which govern the origin, uses, and effects of its signs.
Morris arguesthat language is a system of signs which produce dispositions to social behavior, and that in order to understand the uses and effects of signs we must understand the ways in which signs influence social behavior. Morris notes that the terms of ‘behaviorism’ may differ from those of ‘mentalism,’ in that behaviorist theory may argue that signs denote ‘responses’ or ‘dispositions to behavior’ while‘mentalist’ theory may argue that signs denote ‘concepts’ or ‘ideas.’ However, he explains that his own theory of a behavioral semiotic is not an attempt to settle this controversy but is an attempt to provide a more accurate and precise terminology with which to develop a science of signs.1
Writings on the General Theory of Signs is a collection of some of Morris’s most important writings onsemiotics and on the theory of language. Part One is Foundations of the Theory of Signs (1938). Part Two is Signs, Language, and Behavior (1946). Part Three ("Five Semiotical Studies") includes the first chapter of Signification and Significance (1964).
Part One discusses the dimensions of ‘semiosis’ (the process by which a sign-vehicle may function as a sign). Part One also explains how semiotics maybe used as a method of investigation by other sciences such as linguistics, philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and sociology. Part Two describes the relations between linguistic signs and social behavior, and discusses the criteria by which the adequacy, truth, and reliability of signs may be evaluated. Part Two also presents a classification of the modes of signifying of signs and of theprimary uses of signs. Part Two also provides a classification of the major types of discourse according to their primary usages of signs and modes of signifying. Part Three examines the relation between semiotics and aesthetics, and describes aesthetics as a science of aesthetic signs. Part Three also examines the relation between aesthetic analysis and sign-analysis, and explains how works of artmay function as aesthetic signs.
Morris divides semiotics into three interrelated sciences or disciplines: 1) syntactics (the study of the methods by which signs may be combined to form compound signs), 2) semantics (the study of the signification of signs), and 3) pragmatics (the study of the origins, uses, and effects of signs). 'Semiotic' is the study of 'semiosis,' which has syntactical,...