The Theory of Linguistic Sign of G. Frege in Modal Aspect

Abstract

Frege’s semantic theory became the basis of a set-theoretic semantics, including semantics of possible worlds. However, modern semiotics and its principal component (theory of sign)
are out of this mainstream. The relationship between signifier and signified is considered as a non-modal and context-free. Meanwhile, the problems that were outlined by Frege himself can be solved due to the modal extension of his theory. Frege’s idea – that the sense is a relation (function) that correlates linguistic expressions with non-linguistic objects – can be understood as a relation defined on the set of possible worlds. The definition of sense as a formal relation can be complemented with the conditions of denotation: how, by which texts and in respect of which context it can be performed. Modal semiotics can be considered also as a functional and context-dependent semiotics describing communicative contexts and processes (construction and functioning of texts, their interpretation, intertextual relations, etc.)