From Fire to Symbols: Icons, Indices, and the Making of a Symbolic Species

About this event

Long before words, our ancestors read smoke as a sign of fire. Somewhere between that and the word "fire," something remarkable happened: we became a symbolic species. This is a conceptual, discussion-friendly session on the idea of symbols. We'll start from philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce's simple three-way split: icons (meaning by resemblance, like a portrait), indices (meaning by connection, like smoke and fire), and symbols (meaning by convention, like words). From there, we'll look at a few other ways people have thought about what symbols are and what they do. It's also the first step toward our upcoming conversation on language. Some questions we'll explore: • What's the difference between a sign, a signal, and a symbol? • Are icons, indices, and symbols really different kinds, or points on a spectrum? • Can other animals use symbols, or is that uniquely human? • Where does a symbol's meaning come from: the world, the mind, or shared agreement? • What did it take for humans to become a "symbolic species," and when might that have happened? • Do we need symbols before we can have language, or does language create them? No background or reading needed. Bring your curiosity and your own examples: everyday symbols, signs, and puzzles are all fair game. Newcomers are always welcome, and we aim for open, respectful conversation. This is an online event. The link will be shared here before the event.