A Semiotic Reflection on Selfinterpretation and Identity

Abstract

In order to posit an alternative to Cartesian introspection as a form of privileged access to self-knowledge, the paper argues for a communicative embodied self which does not jeopardize human agency. Based on classical pragmatism, namely on Peirce's triadic semiotic, the text posits a non-reductionist alternative to the dualistic Cartesian cogito. Our goal is to advance the solution to an age-old paradox: how to understand the multiplicity of identities that constitute the self as well as our sense of unity and consistency across time. The triadic sign is considered a valuable theoretical tool to account for the unity of the self and for the diversity in human identity, without favoring either of the two terms. The self is construed as a sign in continuous growth through a reflexive, interpretive dialogue that aims to integrate multiple particular identities into the unity of a generative process.