In this text, the aouthor proposes an explanatory account of communication which accords with our lay understanding of human existence. He begins with the premise that the mental life of an individual should be conceived of as a continuous attempt to integrate the present with the past and future. He concludes by arguing that communication should be viewed as both a product and a resource of this constant act of integration. At the heart of Harris' argument lie questions concerning human creativity and responsiblity. Against most modern theorists of communication, Harris argues that...

Claims that the western tradition has relied on two dubious assumptions about human communication. One is that each language is a unique code that specifies determinate forms and meanings, and the other is that linguistic communication consists in the utilization of such codes to transfer messages.

In Signs, Language and Communication readers familiar with the arguments of Professor Harris' previous work, including Signs of Writing, will find those ideas developed here to cover not just writing, but aspects of art, design and manufacture. Roy Harris proposes a new theory of communication. He begins with the premise that the mental life of an individual should be conceived as a continuous attempt to integrate the present with the past and future. He concludes by arguing that communication should be viewed as both a product and a resource of this constant act of integration.