ABSTRACT
As we drive along the turnpike, we come upon a signpost reading "Boston 150 miles." If our destination is Boston, the sign gives useful information, and even if we are not planning to stop in Boston, it augments our knowledge to be informed that it is 150 miles ahead. This is a simple example of symbols conveying information, provided the reader is familiar with the English language. If the sign read "260 kilometers," some American drivers might have to do some calculating to get an idea how far away Boston really was. The sign is printed in what Susanne Langer called "discursive" discourse. The words denote entities that belong to a species to which a name has been assigned. Or they denote mental procedures and rules by which the symbols are to be combined to yield appropriate connotations.
