Philosophy Dictionary of ArgumentsHome | |||
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Symbols: The concept of a symbol has, in a broader sense, the same meaning as the concept of a sign. The special use of the concept in different authors differs in some respects fundamentally, for example, with regard to which role conventions play in the formation of symbols and whether symbols form a system. See also signs, icons, conventions, meaning, reference, picture theory, representation, substitution, code._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. | |||
Author | Concept | Summary/Quotes | Sources |
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J. Bigelow on Symbols - Dictionary of Arguments
I 176 Symbol/blackening/Bigelow/Pargetter: some authors believe that symbols are mere blackenings on paper (e.g. numbers) or mere noises. >Blackening of the paper, >Numbers, >Formalism. BigelowVsFormalism: Problem: on the one hand there are too many symbols and on the other hand there are not enough. Not enough: for very large numbers there is no corresponding blackening or noise. Too many: for smaller numbers there are too many different ways of representation, more than numbers can be distinguished. Example "4", "four", "IV". >Numerals, >Names of numbers, >Representation, >Presentation._____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition. |
Big I J. Bigelow, R. Pargetter Science and Necessity Cambridge 1990 |