A biosemiotic ontology

the philosophy of Giorgio Prodi

Felice Cimatti

Biosemiotics | 18

Springer

2018

Abstract

Giorgio Prodi (1928-1987) was an important Italian scientist who developed an original philosophy based on two basic assumptions: 1. life is mainly a semiotic phenomenon; 2. matter is somewhat a semiotic phenomenon.

Prodi applies Peirce's cenopythagorean categories to all phenomena of life and matter: Firstness, Secondness, and Thirdness. They are interconnected meaning that the very ontology of the world, according to Prodi, is somewhat semiotic. In fact, when one describes matter as "made of" Firstness and Secondness, this means that matter "intrinsically" implies semiotics (with Thirdness also being present in the world).

Cited authors

Peirce Charles Sanders

Prodi Giorgio