Communication as Semiosis

This article develops a theoretical account for the communication process based on the logic and semiotics of Charles S. Peirce, in contrast with the functionalist, informational, and cybernetic paradigms associated respectively with Lasswell, Shannon, and Wiener. Starting from the premise that communication is a particular case of semiosis, the Solenoid of Semiosis developed in Romanini’s earlier work is discussed—a helical diagram describing the transmission of the form of the dynamic object to the final interpretant through the sign. In the model, the periods of the solenoid correspond to the layers of the signification process, while its phases describe the formation and stabilization of cognitive habits through semiostasis. It is argued that these dynamics involve probabilities understood as real propensities—dispositions of semiotic systems to produce certain interpretive effects—and that Fisher information is proposed as a possible measure of representational precision under specified modeling conditions, in dialogue with Shannon’s information theory. This internalization is compared with free energy minimization in Karl Friston’s theory, without assuming an identity between the two accounts. The article contributes to an established semiotic program in communication studies and outlines a direction for empirical research; its examples are illustrative.