Download WP1-Semiotics

War Languages, 2009
Semiotics
Vesa Matteo Piludu
University of Helsinki
Semiotics
 The term, which was spelled semeiotics (Greek: σημειωτικός,
semeiotikos, an interpreter of signs) was first used in English by
Henry Stubbes (1670, p. 75) in a very precise sense to denote the
branch of medical science relating to the interpretation of signs
 Plato and Aristotle both explored the relationship between signs and
the world, and Augustine considered the nature of the sign within a
conventional system. More recently, Umberto Eco, in his Semiotics
and philosophy of language, has argued that semiotic theories are
implicit in the work of most, perhaps all, major thinkers.
 Semiotics, semiotic studies, or semiology is the study of sign
processes (semiosis), or signification and communication, signs and
symbols, both individually and grouped into sign systems.
 It includes the study of how meaning is constructed and understood.
The tree ”souls” of Semiotics
 Semantics: Relation between signs and the things they refer to, their
denotata. (icon and meaning)
 Syntactics: Relation of signs to each other in formal structures
(systems of symbols, web of signification)
 Pragmatics: Relation of signs to their impacts on those who use
them (social, psicological impact)
Meaning process
Pierce Triadic system and Saussure Dyadic system
Signs Shop
Anthroposemiotics, Sociosemiotics and
Biosemiotics
 This discipline is frequently seen as having important anthropological
dimensions (humanistic)
 But … it is relevant also for social studies (communication, sociology,
political studies) …
 And the communication of information in living organisms is covered
in biosemiotics or zoosemiosis
Semiotics in Europe
 In Italy … semiotics is strongly connected to language,
communication, cultural and religious studies (Umberto Eco, Omar
Calabrese, Augusto Ponzio, Massimo Leone … and many others)
 In Bulgaria semiotics is linked with advertizing studies (New
Bulgarian University os Sofia, Kristian Bankov)
 In Lithuania there is the relevant Greimas Institute
 Estonia (Tartu) is an important center for Cultural Semiotic (Juri
Lotman) and Biosemiotics (Kalevi Kull)
Semiotics in Helsinki
 In Helsinki semiotic is strongly connected with art research and
cultural studies
 Musical Semiotic (Eero Tarasti)
 Existential Semiotics (Eero Tarasti)
 Semiotic of Arts (Harri Veivo)
 Methodology (Merja Bauters)
 Dario Martinelli (zoosemiotics)
 Philosophical Semiotic (Pierce studies, Mats Bergman, Pietarinen)
 Cultural Semiotics – semiotic of war (Piludu)
English Couses on Semiotics
 http://www.helsinki.fi/taitu/english/semiotics.htm
Semiotic in Finland
 Rovaniemi (Media)
 Tampere (Theatre)
 Turku
 Imatra
 Network University of Semiotics
Virastokatu 1 (Cultural Centre)
55100 IMATRA
tel. +358 20 617 6700, +358 20 617 6639
 http://www.semiotics.fi/en/
Semiotic communication
 Social and cultural Contexts
 Adresser (sender of message)
 Message (communicative act based on a system of signs and on a
code)
 Code (language, visual, musical code…)
 Sign or signs (Icon)
 Meaning of the sign
 Adressee (receiver of the message)
 Communication I – he/she, I-I (self reflection), we-they (ethnic),
mass communication (media)
 The communication defines not only the signs and their role, but also
the identities of the adresser and the adressee (Lotman, Bachtin)