plaques & signs
peirces philosophy of communication the rhetorical underpinnings of the theory of signs
charles s. peirce the founder of pragmatism was also the architect of a remarkable theory of signs that continues to puzzle and inspire philosophers today . in this important new book mats bergman articulates a bold new approach to peirces semeiotic through a reassessment of the role of rhetoric in his work . this systematic approach which is offered as an alternative to formalistic accounts of peirces project shows how general sign theoretical conceptions can plausibly be interpreted as abstractions from everyday communicative experiences and practices . building on this fallible ground of rhetoric in use bergman explicates peirces semeiotic in a way that is conducive to the development of rhetorical inquiry and philosophical criticism . following this path the underpinnings of a uniquely peircean philosophy of communication is unearthed a pragmatic conception encased in a normative rhetoric motivated by the continual need to transform and improve our habits of action .