Dynamic Substitutes. A Semiotic Perspective

Abstract

In this article I aim at proving the relevance of a (possibly) new semiotic concept, which I
termed dynamic substitute. In this regard, dynamic substitutes refer to those types of signs that
manifest a kind of “dialectic relation” to the “things” they stand for; that is, they mutually influence
each other during the transactions they are involved in. Not only words and money (as symbols), but
also maps (as icons), constitute excellent examples of dynamic substitutes, as the American
philosopher John Dewey suggested.