Chemical arbitrariness and the causal role of molecular adapters

Lean, Oliver M.

doi:10.1016/j.shpsc.2019.101180

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Like the other two notions, motivatedness and sign‐function mapping optionality are also portable, meaning that they can be extended outside the semiotic realm by relaxing the constraints on their relata. Again, as an example, extant analyses of the “arbitrariness” of the genetic code are cashed out in modal terms and attached to the possibility of alternatives (Lean, 2019; Stegmann, 2004). We could characterize the phenomenon as an instance of backward‐looking mapping optionality between non‐semiotic units and chemical functions.…”

Section: Getting Things Into Focusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Notions of arbitrariness

et al. 2022

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Arbitrariness is a distinctive feature of human language, and a growing body of comparative work is investigating its presence in animal communication. But what is arbitrariness, exactly? We propose to distinguish four notions of semiotic arbitrariness: a notion of opaque association between sign forms and semiotic functions, one of sign‐function mapping optionality, one of acquisition‐dependent sign‐function coupling, and one of lack of motivatedness. We characterize these notions, illustrate the benefits of keeping them apart, and describe two reactions to our proposal: abandoning arbitrariness‐talk in favor of the newly introduced conceptual vocabulary, or feeding the distinctions back into the parent concept.

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Section: Getting Things Into Focusmentioning

confidence: 99%