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===6.9. Higher Order Sign Relations : Introduction===

===6.9. Higher Order Sign Relations : Introduction===

When interpreters reflect on their own use of signs they require an appropriate technical language in which to pursue these reflections.  For this they need signs that refer to sign relations, signs that refer to the elements and components of sign relations, and signs that refer to the properties and classes of sign relations.  All of these additional signs can be placed under the description of '''higher order signs''', and the extended sign relations that involve them can be referred to as '''higher order sign relations'''.

When interpreters reflect on their own use of signs they require an appropriate technical language in which to pursue these reflections.  For this they need signs that refer to sign relations, signs that refer to the elements and components of sign relations, and signs that refer to the properties and classes of sign relations.  All of these additional signs can be placed under the description of "higher order" (HO) signs, and the extended sign relations that involve them can be referred to as "higher order" (HO) sign relations.

Whether any forms of observation and reflection can be conducted outside the medium of language is not a question I can address here.  It is apparent as a practical matter, however, that stable and sharable forms of knowledge depend on the availability of an adequate language.  Accordingly, there is a relationship of practical necessity that binds the conditions for reflective interpretation to the possibility of extending sign relations through higher orders.  At minimum, in addition to the signs of objects originally given, there must be signs of signs and signs of their interpretants, and each of these HO signs requires a further occurrence of HO interpretants to continue and complete its meaning within a HO sign relation.  In general, HO signs can arise in a number of independent fashions, but one of the most common derivations is through the specialized devices of quotation.  This establishes a contingent relation between reflection and quotation.

Whether any forms of observation and reflection can be conducted outside the medium of language is not a question I can address here.  It is apparent as a practical matter, however, that stable and sharable forms of knowledge depend on the availability of an adequate language.  Accordingly, there is a relationship of practical necessity that binds the conditions for reflective interpretation to the possibility of extending sign relations through higher orders.  At minimum, in addition to the signs of objects originally given, there must be signs of signs and signs of their interpretants, and each of these higher order signs requires a further occurrence of higher order interpretants to continue and complete its meaning within a higher order sign relation.  In general, higher order signs can arise in a number of independent fashions, but one of the most common derivations is through the specialized devices of quotation.  This establishes a contingent relation between reflection and quotation.

This entire topic, involving the relationship of reflective interpreters to the realm of HO sign relations and the available operators for quotation, forms the subject of a recurring investigation that extends throughout the rest of this work.  This section introduces only enough of the basic concepts, terminology, and technical machinery that is necessary to get the theory of HO signs off the ground.

This entire topic, involving the relationship of reflective interpreters to the realm of higher order sign relations and the available operators for quotation, forms the subject of a recurring investigation that extends throughout the rest of this work.  This section introduces only enough of the basic concepts, terminology, and technical machinery that is necessary to get the theory of higher order signs off the ground.

By way of a first definition, a "higher order" (HO) sign relation is a sign relation, some of whose signs are "higher order" (HO) signs.  If an extra degree of precision is needed, HO signs can be distinguished in a variety of different "species" or "types", to be taken up next.

By way of a first definition, a '''higher order sign relation''' is a sign relation, some of whose signs are '''higher order signs'''.  If an extra degree of precision is needed, higher order signs can be distinguished in a variety of different ''species'' or ''types'', to be taken up next.

In devising a nomenclature for the required species of HO signs, it is a good idea to generalize slightly, designing an analytic terminology that can be adapted to classify the HO signs of arbitrary relations, not just the HO signs of sign relations.  The work of developing a more powerful vocabulary can be put to good account at a later stage of this project, when it is necessary to discuss the structural constituents of arbitrary relations and to reflect on the language that is used to discuss them.  However, by way of making a gradual approach, it still helps to take up the classification of HO signs in a couple of passes, first considering the categories of HO signs as they apply to sign relations and then discussing how the same ideas are relevant to arbitrary relations.

In devising a nomenclature for the required species of HO signs, it is a good idea to generalize slightly, designing an analytic terminology that can be adapted to classify the HO signs of arbitrary relations, not just the HO signs of sign relations.  The work of developing a more powerful vocabulary can be put to good account at a later stage of this project, when it is necessary to discuss the structural constituents of arbitrary relations and to reflect on the language that is used to discuss them.  However, by way of making a gradual approach, it still helps to take up the classification of HO signs in a couple of passes, first considering the categories of HO signs as they apply to sign relations and then discussing how the same ideas are relevant to arbitrary relations.