Interpretation strategies and the problem of insufficient determinacy of meaning

Object of investigation: the procedure ofinterpretation. Subject of investigation: strategies and limits of interpretation. Aim: to explaininterpretation strategies arising in defining the notion of interpretation through the antithesisinterpretation / understanding and to show limitations of strategies of content interpretation while usingtechnical semiotic models, in the light of the problem of indeterminacy of meaning. Main results:Interpretation consists in choice and use of a semantic rule. We use four-component semantic modeland use the term meaning for the signified object, the term sense for syntactic place of sign (e.g.language) system, by which the meaning is given (signified), the term sign - the carrier of designationand signification functions expressed in some substratum, and the term interpretant for the conditionwhen the sign is able to fulfill the functions of designation and signification. Thus, for the subject ofsemiosis the procedure of interpretation means dealing with meaning, while understanding meansdealing with sense (understanding proper consists in reversing an expression, i.e. listener understandssomething where speaker expresses something), and dealing with interpretant means procedure ofusing a sign. The most essential difference concerning technical strategies is the difference in what isthe substrate of sign, i.e. what exactly can be interpreted, language signs only or nonverbal facts aswell. The first case is that of "strong interpretation", the second - that of "weak interpretation". Themost essential difference concerning conceptual strategies is the difference in appropriate contextsdefining pragmatic background of meaning. Two most important types of contexts are traditions of"understanding the author better than he could do it himself" by F.D.E. Schleiermacher and"understanding in another way" by H.-G.Gadamer. The presence of indeterminacy is the condition ofthe possibility of interpretation, and its eliminating is the result the interpretation is aimed at.Indeterminacy of communicative signs means strong interpretation, and indeterminacy ofgnoseological signs means weak interpretation. Conclusions: Principle of weak interpretation makesnecessary a new interpretation conceptual strategy which would avoid both dogmatism and solipsism,and so-called "ontological underdeterminacy" can be seen as its limit and its condition.

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