Abstract
Abstract Truth is the core issue of any theory of meaning, and the pursuit of truth is the fundamental driving force of human consciousness. Is the appearance of truth true? In what sense is it truth? How do we obtain truth? Can a final truth be obtained? These are among the most difficult questions to answer in the theory of meaning and the best divergence points in various meaning theories. Peirce’s semiotic phenomenology puts forward a view of truth that can be grasped clearly but is nevertheless complex and different from pragmatism. First, meaning activity is the pursuit of truth. Second, no semiotic representation can be totally untrue or completely true. Third, to access truth there must be an accumulation of semiotic activities until the consensus of a community is reached, called a ‘communitarian truth’. Fourth, since the community has no boundaries, the infinite derivative of symbolic text can gradually approach the ideal truth.
Highlights
Any theory of meaning must have truth as its core proposition
This is why the theory of meaning is so complicated. Once these questions are asked, the consciousness of pursuing meaning becomes self-conscious, and becomes the consciousness of inquiry. It is for this reason that the issue of truth discussed in this article is implemented on the consciousness of ‘the community of inquiry’
If anyone denies the existence of truth, ‘reasoning and thought would be without a purpose’ (CP 2.135)
Summary
Any theory of meaning must have truth as its core proposition. It is impossible for a person pursuing the intentionality of meaning to accept a meaning that is knowingly false. At least when discussing the meaning theory of semiotic phenomenology, we are basically talking about ‘truth’ (‘true cognition’, i.e. the meaning acquired by consciousness or the accepted cognition is true). This article uses 真知 zhen zhi as the translation of ‘truth’ – not to exclude ‘truth’, ‘true face’, ‘fact’, and other meanings of truth, but to focus on the ‘truth’ character of cognition or expression This character can lead to a further truth (objective law) or true face (thing’s essence). If this is Peirce’s consistent thought, he is more pragmatic than James with his expediency theory His other extensive discussions about truth suggest that this is just him teasing us and is not his view of truth at all. At least one thing must be admitted: Peirce’s view of truth is far more complicated than the two real pioneers of pragmatism
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
