Jerry, list,

Yes, that is true, a change in meaning is not necessarily a change in the
state of information. Peirce is clear about that in "Upon Logical
Comprehension and Extension". One can find at least a couple of cases of
this mentioned in the sixth section or 'paragraph', in particular his
definitions of generalization and descent.

You wrote:

Is this sentence an example speculative rhetoric or speculative grammar?


By example, I take it that you mean, is this a proposition or claim (or
observation) in the study of speculative rhetoric, or in speculative
grammar? Actually, I believe this would belong to neither, but instead
belong to the second branch of semiotic logic, i.e. logical critic, the
branch that focuses on inference and its classifications. Speculative
grammar, of course, plays a role: Peirce uses his newly-defined concepts
from "On a New List" to understand information, in particular the concept
of interpretant. But the outcome of the paper on information is an
explanation of the three kinds of inference as represented by their role in
changing information. Notice that in the paper, Peirce references his
syllogistic approach to understanding induction and hypothesis in order to
help make sense of the changes of information brought about by induction
and hypothesis. But syllogistic is properly part of logical critic, not
speculative grammar. With respect to speculative rhetoric, nothing is
discussed in regard to questions of scientific method or of communication
and semiotic community generally, though one would expect an understanding
of information and the variety of changes it can undergo to prove of aid in
the issues that speculative rhetoric treats of.

You could argue that information theory belongs in speculative grammar
after all, and I can see that. But my instinct is that discussing changes
of anything isn't really the purview of speculative grammar. Grammar
classifies signs, but it does not discuss their changing relations with
each other--that's what inference and method do, and studies of inference
and method properly belong to critic and methodeutic, respectively. Again,
grammar contributes the needed classifications to understand
what-contributes-what to information, but it shouldn't have to do with
discussing changes in information.

Franklin

On Mon, Nov 2, 2015 at 10:18 AM, Jerry LR Chandler <
[email protected]> wrote:

> List:
>
> On Nov 1, 2015, at 11:43 PM, Franklin Ransom <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> In any case, change in distinctness is not change in information.
>
>
> This assertion appears problematic.
>
> In particular, it appears to suggest that a change in meaning is not a
> change in information.
>
> Is this sentence an example speculative rhetoric or speculative grammar?
>
> Cheers
>
> Jerry
>
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