Locke, John
<p class="default">02:38 PM, July 13, 2007</p>
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SEMIOTICS wiki: John Locke quote.</p>
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from the Wiki seiotics article: this quote is brilliant!</p>
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<b>Note: THREE THINGS:</b>
<b>1) The nature of THINGS, their relations, and manner of operation</b>
<b>2) what MAN himself OUGHT to do, as a rational, voluntary agent, for the attainment of any end, especially happiness</b>
<b>3) The Ways and MEANS whereby KNOWLEDGE of BOTH 1) and 2) is ATTAINED and COMMUNICATED!!!!!</b></p>
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<u>John Locke </wiki/John_Locke></u> (1690) used the terms  <b>semeiotike</b> and  <b>semeiotics</b> in Book 4, Chapter 21 of  <u><i>An Essay Concerning Human Understanding </wiki/An_Essay_Concerning_Human_Understanding></i></u> . Here he explains how science can be divided into three parts:
All that can fall within the compass of human understanding, being either, first, the nature of things, as they are in themselves, their relations, and their manner of operation: or, secondly, that which man himself ought to do, as a rational and voluntary agent, for the attainment of any end, especially happiness: or, thirdly, the ways and means whereby the knowledge of both the one and the other of these is attained and communicated; I think science may be divided properly into these three sorts.
?  <i>Locke, 1823/1963, p. 174</i>
Locke then elaborates on the nature of this third category, naming it ?????????? (  <i>Semeiotike</i> ) and explaining it as "the doctrine of signs" in the following terms:
Nor is there any thing to be relied upon in Physick,  <u>[2]</u> but an exact knowledge of medicinal physiology (founded on observation, not principles), semeiotics, method of curing, and tried (not excogitated,  <u>[3]</u> not commanding) medicines.
?  <i>Locke, 1823/1963, 4.21.4, p. 175</i></p>
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