I am thinking of George Boole (boolean algebra and logic) who wrote in the 18th centuary -- that a symbol (an individual gene in this case) in itself is not mea

I am thinking of George Boole (boolean algebra and logic) who wrote in the 18th centuary -- that a symbol (an individual gene in this case) in itself is not meaningful but that its meaning depends on how it combines with with other symbols. Quote- "..the validity of the processes of analysis does not depend upon the interpretation of the symbols which are employed, but solely on their laws of combination. Every system of interpretation which does not affect the truth of the relations supposed, is equally admissible, and it is true that the same process may,under one scheme of interpretation, represent the solution of a question on the properties of numbers, under another, that of a geometrical problem, and under a third, that of a problem of dynamics or optics." (Boole 1847)