meaning autogenesis
Understanding Biosemiotic Emergence
This simulation demonstrates how meaning emerges from simple molecular interactions. Each level represents a fundamental type of sign relation described by Charles Sanders Peirce and applied to biology by Terrence Deacon.
Level 1: Iconic Signs
The autogen interprets disruption through resemblance. A broken capsid resembles the need for repair, triggering an identical response regardless of cause.
Key insight: Even the simplest self-maintaining systems exhibit proto-semiotic behavior - they "interpret" their environment through chemical reactions.
Level 2: Indexical Signs
The autogen now responds to correlations. Substrate binding indicates resource availability, creating a causal relationship between environmental state and system response.
Key insight: This represents the emergence of environmental sensing - the system can now "measure" external conditions and respond adaptively.
Level 3: Symbolic Signs
The template molecule carries conventional information. The sequence doesn't physically resemble what it produces - it's an arbitrary code that must be "read" by the catalysts.
Key insight: This is analogous to genetic information - abstract sequences that gain meaning only through interpretation by molecular machinery.
Theoretical Implications
Deacon's autogenic model suggests that life's defining features - self-maintenance, adaptation, and heredity - emerge naturally from the interplay of self-organizing processes. No external designer or pre-existing information is required.
The progression from iconic to symbolic interpretation parallels major transitions in evolution: from simple autocatalysis to environmental responsiveness to genetic encoding. Each level builds on the previous, creating increasingly sophisticated forms of biological meaning.