Charles Sanders Peirce: Symbolic, Iconic, and Indexical Signs
Author: Lesley Lanir
Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914) formulated the innovative triadic model of the sign, emphasizing in his theory that the way we interpret a ‘sign’ is what allows it to be signified — what gives it its meaning.
Therefore, the main attributes of any sign need to be clear enough to relay their intended meaning.
What is a Sign?
Peirce’s theory does not focus on just material or concrete signs, but any kind of sign. For example, if a bus driver announces that the next stop is Central Station and a passenger rings the bell, lighting up the ‘stop’ sign — then the sign system here has been understood.
The message contained in the driver’s announcement is the sign that he will drive straight past that terminal if no one responds. His announcement is Peirce’s ‘representamen’ or Saussure’s ‘signifier.’ (see my article on Saussure) How the passengers react is the ‘interpretant’ or ‘signified’, or sense made of the sign.
If the driver stops or carries on, that is the referent, the object of the sign. A passenger rings the bell and the stop sign lights up — the driver’s ‘sign’ has been understood.
