Rene Thom, Reader of Jakob von Uexkull (Meaning as Topological Space)

In this paper, I draw a parallel between aspects of Rene Thom's topological program understood as semiophysics, and Jakob von Uexkull's theory of meaning. Through the use of Thom's semiophysics, I believe that it is possible to interpret Uexkull's intuition that meaning unfolds a kind of transformation in an organism's transactions with the environment: that is, meaning incorporates topological spaces. The central idea in question is that beyond the semantic, syntactical and pragmatic human use of language, meaning incorporates specific topologies by expressing the spatial interaction between organism and environment. This is what I mean by Rene Thom's reading of Jakob von Uexkull.

Automated summary

This paper draws a parallel between Rene Thom's topological program and Jakob von Uexkull's theory of meaning, suggesting that meaning incorporates spatial interaction between organisms and the environment.