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THE CODING AND OF THE AT THOMAS A. SEBEOK

Paul GORBAN1

1Lecturer, PhD, „Apollonia” University of Iasi Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract lectures, T. A. Sebeok develops a theory which If we look, even from far away, at the development of states that semiotics is an independent field of the means of communication or at the interests of the study, proving on various occasions that it has scientist we notice that together with the philosophers, some connections with the cognitive and sociologists, political scientists, linguists and psychologists, the 21st century individual develops within the local or biological sciences. His research activity in the global cultures under the dictatorship of the image, field of semiotics is proven by those over 500 rendered as a symbolic form. Semiotics is considered a book and article titles which he wrote throughout field of study which possesses, within its field of time, as well as by the generations of young investigation the () and the practice of signification / communication as social practices. experts in semiotics, who had the opportunity to Throughout the years, this field of study has received understand his ideas during his lectures at many definitions which have tried to explain its epistemic North-American universities. The research and horizons. Most of the attempts to define the field of semiotics belong to language philosophy, logic and ideas present in his papers present the way in linguistic. However, the expert in semiotics Thomas A. which semiotics interacts with the biological, Sebeok tells us that semiotics is rooted in medicine and that psychological and cultural products and Hippocrates (460-377 B. C.), regarded as the founder of the processes. From this standpoint Thomas A. Western medical science, was one of first people who used the sign science to study the patients’ symptoms. We Sebeok can be regarded as an innovator within should acknowledge the fact that in the history of the the semiotics field of study, as we notice that the subjects that analyse the production of signs and the scholar takes semiotics out of the philological, relations among them, there are some theorists who have linguistic and hermeneutic systems and it reseats identified semiology as part of a whole, semiotics, an idea especially spread by , but disputed by Georges it in the sphere of the biological sciences. Mounim.Therefore, medical diagnosis represents a Transforming once again semiotics into a science semiotic science since it relies on the principle that the of life, Sebeok doesn’t do anything else than to physical symptom doesn’t represent itself, but a state or internal condition. However, later research in the field show us that the signs appear within the human separate the concept of symptom from that of sign, bringing body as extensions of the body’s recreation the latter closer to semiotics. This is how the and system. decoding device is formed… Thomas A. Sebeokshows that, between the Keywords: communication, sign, symbol, semiotics, , message, codification, decoding, hermeneutic, icon. body, mind and culture, there is a process that ties them together, a process called semiosis, which Thomas A. Sebeok (1920-2001), together with helps us understand the production and , Algirdas-Julien Greimas, Julia interpreting of the signs. The nature of semiotics Kristevaand many others is considered as one of is that it researches the interconnection between those who, by transforming the global study of life, meaning everything that is organic and offers semiosis into a science of life, has enlarged the a signof life – from termites to people – and field of semiotics research, arousing the interest semiosis. Sebeok’s research and ideas can be put of the cognitive and social sciences. Born in together with those of the biologist Jakob von Budapest, the expert in semiotics emigrates in Uexküll (1864-1944) who proved, more than half USA, where he defends his PhD thesis at the the century before that every system has different prestigious Princeton University in 1945. After lives on the inside and on the outside. In this that, during some worldwide conference tours, regard, the semiotics scholar shows that one of one of which was in Bucharest in 1998 where he the main goals of the biological research of

Volume 6 • Issue 1, January / March 2016 • International Journal of Communication Research 43 Paul GORBAN semiosis is non-verbal communication, which argues that, in their communication, people use takes place within one or multiple systems. In many channels, among which is the acoustic one. comparison to other species which send life signals Acoustic communication can be both verbal and regardless of their nature, the humans species is vocal, but it can also be semiotic or artificial. the only one capable of simultaneously Somatic acoustic communication can be vocal, as communicating, using both non-verbal (with the a yell triggered by an affright, or non-vocal, like help of language and writing) and verbal means. clapping of hands at the end of a performance in If, for example, an individual’s verbal order to show the artist appreciation. Sebeok communication process suffers an accident (as in shows that, in people, the non-verbal the case of people who are born without verbal communication, in its acoustic manner, in all communication abilities, or others who lose their acknowledged communities, has been artistically speaking capacity because of different traumas of developed taking the form of a great variety of because they get old), then the individual can musical achievements. Acoustic communication continue to communicate. Without the capacity (in all its forms) sends the receiver the sound. to verbalize the man can communicate in a non- When it is verbal, it can be shaped, starting from verbal manner: “Non-verbal communication an intimate whisper and up to a definite shout, takes place within a system or between two or as we sometimes encounter during a theatrical more systems. Within the system, the participants performance or during the reading of a poem. at the communication activities can assume – as When there is a relationship between sounds, sources of the messages, their addressees or both they can produce signs or systems of signs, and – on ascendent levels of integration, cell eventually we encounter what we call semiosis. components, cells, tissues, organs and organ For exemple, the sounds of the word l-a-m-p systems. Moreover, the main characteristics of the taken separately will only represent some bodies biological organization in its whole, non-verbally that due to the social contract are similar to some directed in that milieu intérieur, include protein vowels or consonants, while put together they synthesis, metabolism, hormonal activity, the offer a signs, the word lamp which characterizes transmission of nervous impulses, and others. the object lamp. In their turn, words perceived Communication at this level is mainly studied as signs, connected with other signs (words) will (among other sciences) by subfields ofbiosemiotics , lead to a system of signs, as following: the bedroom called protosemiotics, citosemiotics, or, generally lamp is orange. In this respect, Einstein, in a letter speaking, endosemiotics. Internal communication sent to a friend in 1945 wrote how signs can be takes place by means of some semic operations interconnected with the help of the mind, so that or due to the chemical, thermic, mechanical or they communicate something about the universe: electrical semiosis .(Sebeok, 2002, p. 30-31) “the words or the language, as they are written According to the research conducted, Thomas or spoken, don’t seem to play any role in my own A. Sebeok shows that the oldest forms of thinking mechanism. The physical entities seem communication between the systems from our to serve as thinking elements, and there are some biosphere can be identified in prokaryotes, in signs and images more or less clear which can other words, in bacteria. Their social behaviour, willingly be reproduced or combined.” Coming of organizing themselves in colonies and of back to the sound can say that: “it doesn’t depend transmitting the information, has determined on light and it can be used both day and night. biologists, but also experts in semiotics, to Also, it fills up the whole space around the research their non-verbal communication source. Therefore, it doesn’t require a direct processes, characterized as forms of biological connection line with the destination. Moreover, semiosis. it requires very low energy expenses. In the case If, on the other hand, we look at the vertebrates, of humans, the sound can be modulated from the the scholar shows that a comparative analysis is intimate whisper up to the long shout.” (Sebeok, necessary, not only between the non-verbal and 2002, p. 36) the verbal communication, but also between the non-verbal and the vocal one. For example, he

44 Volume 6 • Issue 1, January / March 2016 • THE CODING AND DECODING OF THE SIGN AT THOMAS A. SEBEOK

Thomas A. Seeok’s studies show that the man communication function through message is the only being in the biological system who, exchange. The latter has been supported by the after hard work, on the scale of evolution, non-verbal messages, as in the case of animals, managed to communicate, even with the help of and it still exists today if we consider the majority some instruments, conventional words and other of the human interactions. A few million years signs. The scholar’s idea shows how systems later, the language beganrepresentingan communicate using models or individual worlds unexpected function for communication, firstly “each of them according to its specie’s specific under the form of speech, and then of writing. sense organs, starting from the simplest This relatively short time interval was necessary representations of the approaching and for a plausible mutual adjustment of the coding withdrawal maneuvers and ending up with the and decoding capacity”. (Sebeok, 2002, p. 185- most sophisticated cosmic theories belonging to 186.) Newton and Einstein. (Sebeok, 2002, p. 43) From what was mentioned above one can The expert in semiotics, Thomas A. Sebeok, understand that the human being has the capacity does never reveal what the world is, but he to establish and send messages. In this regard, guides us on how we can get to know it; in other the contemporary communication and words, the semiotic model does not describe “pure hermeneutic sciences showed that the established reality,” but nature as it is revealed to us with the messages are sent via a channel to an addressee. help of the research methods used by the expert On this channel called the communication channel in semiotics. In this regard, semiotics represents (verbal and non-verbal) the message goes a meta-field of study. It facilitates possible through some operations: it is codified and communication, presenting the relationships decoded. The transmission process of the between the signs or sign production. Continuing message, from the transmitter to the addressee, and developing Jakob von Uexküll’s theories, from one form of energy into another is known as Thomas A. Sebeok shows that the verbal message the codifying process. While, the addressee detects traffic is currently identified only in animals or and extracts from the channel of coded messages, especially at Homo sapiens sapiens. He finds two in order to understand them, he has to perform separate, but combined, semic repertoires in the another translation, followed by other individual, as following: a) the non-verbal transformations, before the interpretation can language, derived from the mammals’ ancestors, take place. This final process is called decoding especially primates and b) the verbal language, process. “Codifying and decoding require a , exclusively human. If the field of semiotics is a set of clear rules which convert the messages closely linked to the two types of language, well from one into another; the code is then, the type of verbal language represents the what it is assumed to have in common, completely subject of another field of study, ancillary to or partially, the two parties involved in the semiotics, namely , which we have message exchange”. Sebeok, 2002, p. 53) defined in the first part of our paper, where we According to Thomas A. Sebeok, the rich field have presented the contributions to the linguistic of the semiotic research is composed of six sign brought by the Linguistic Schools from Prague factors: the message and code, the source and and Copenhagen. destination, the channel and the context. Recent research shows that starting from Homo Following the path opened by medicine and habitas la Homo sapiens the language has continued by the philosophical and linguistic developed, firstly, as an adaptation, while speech tradition, Sebeok shows that the central concept developed from the language: “Therefore, of semiotics still remains the sign. So far, we have languages – which consist of a set of traits that defined the sign, in the parts dedicated to promote aptness – can mainly be sequels of a Saussure, Peirce, Jokobson etc. However, I will construction process which uses selection taking remind you that, for Peirce, the sign was a generic into account the cognitive function of modulation concept. Peirce acknowledges the sign as and not, as the both the philosopher Popper and something which replaces somebody or something in the linguist Chomsky claimed, in regard to the some respect or quality.The sign is derived from a

International Journal of Communication Research 45 Paul GORBAN trichotomic base comprised of cone, index and For Thomas A. Sebeok thesignal is a sign that symbol. Peirce comes to distinguish from 9 to 66 triggers mechanically (naturally) or sign classes. In an article published in 1868 Peirce, conventionally (artificially) some reaction from as well as Thom, comes to the conclusion that a receiver. In its turn, the receiver can be both a signs are born from their own development from car or a body and we can imagine even a other signs, the sign in its turn becoming another personified supernatural entity. Sebeok,( 2002, sign, and so on ad infinitum, which makes us p.66) A polemic reception may be found in think of an unlimited semiosis. Bühler and Pazukhin. From the point of view of The American expert in semiotics, Thomas A. the first one signal addresses, the destination Sebeok finds at least three general sign whose internal and external behavior govern characteristics. Therefore, the open line by Dante govern it. In other words, the signal acts as a Alighieri in De vulgarieloquetiae offers the traffic regulator that causes or inhibits the following definition for the concept of sign: this reaction. (Bühler, 1934) On the other hand, sign is sensitive in its quality of a sound; and to the Pazukhin emphasizes that Bühler’s theory is extent that it proves capable of meaning something, risky because it leaves room for misinterpretations. it is rational. (Alighieri, 1971) Sebeok says that a) He says that Bühler’sin theory there are atleast the sing is bifocal, meaning it is made out of two two errors:the first error is that it neglects indispensible parts: aaistheton one, perceptible or Bühler’s organon model as a whole, where the sensitive, and a noeton one, intelligible and concepts of signal is placed in the same position rational. Therefore, the signifierlies in the area of with the concepts of symptom and symbol, and the perceptible, having an important impact on the other error is that it overlooks to have at least one of the sense organs of the interpreter, permanently take into account the aspects of while the signified content lies in the area of the signs. Thomas A. Sebeok’s view on this dispute intelligible, of the rational. b)there is a zero degree is that we should as soon as possible” understand sign, such as the phonemes and the morphemes. that the relationship between signal and sign is Yet, Sebeok warns that the linguists who use the the one between a marked and a unmarked zero sign terminology are obliged to understand category, that is between a species and genre to either the zero signifier, or the zero signified, never which it belongs, as Bühler claimed too. Secondly, both cases. c)A third general characteristic of Pazukhin introduces and discusses in detail signs identified by Thomas A. Sebeok is the one what he calls the two control modes, both related to occurrence or the particular denotementof interactions founded on the idea of ​​causal a sign. That is why, the expert in semiotics offers relationship: direct control and the lock-and- the following example: “we can say that one release control type. Control by signaling is a page from a book has 250 words, and this special case of the latter, which leads to the represents the number of lexical occurrences, conclusion, implicitly stated in the definition while the number of different words on a page given by Pazukhin concerning the signal, namely represents the number of the different lexical that between a signal and the reactions it producesthere items.” (Sebeok, 2002, p.62) is only a casual relationship.” (Pazukhin, 1972, p. Even though, in time, a series of philosophers, 43) logicians, linguists and experts in semiology In Thomas A. Sebeok’s conceptionthe tried to look for and to define the multiple symptom is a compulsive sign, automatic, non- possible relationships between the signifier and arbitrary, in such a way that the signifier is the signified, relationships which could lead to coupled with the signified as a natural connection. new classifications for the sign and for the system Inspired by the medical semiotics Sebeok shows of signs, today only a small part are usually that the syndrome is a pattern of symptoms identified and used. Thus, Sebeok ends up regulated by symptoms with a set designated. A classifying signs in six categories, which aren’t fundamental characteristic that the semiotician only characteristic to humans. The six sign identifies in the symptom is that its denotations categories are: the signal, the symptom, the icon, the in most cases are different both for the sender index, the symbol and the name. (patient - objective symptoms) and the recipient

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(doctor –objective symptoms). The theory of separating the soul from the body he retells symptons interpretation, in other words the Cebes’s why he started writing poems (until then symptomalogy orthe semeiology (as Sebeok Socrates has never written poems): „CEBES: Ah, calls it) could be considered the beginning of the Socrates, it is goog that you reminded me. What theory of signs. If, for example, we look to about the poems you wrote by putting into lines ancient thinking - we find the famous doctors, Aesop’s fables and composing a hymn to Apolon? physiologists and anatomists, Erasistratos, (...) what skeme you had in mind when you Hippocrates, doctor Galen of Pargam, Herophilos, started, after you came here, to compose lyrics, the epicurean Asclepiades of Bithynia how they you who have not done this before. (...) used to interpret the symptoms to identify a SOCRATES: Well, Cebes, tell him the truth ... I certain disease. Today, the art of interpreting the did not start writing lyrics to compete (referring symptoms „has a meaning far beyond the daily to the poet Euenos ) with him or with his fables management of the disease by the physician. As (no easy thing at all, I perfectly understand), but anticipated by Hippocrates, its success derives to find the meaning of dreams, to obey the gods, from the psychological ability of the doctor, and to find out if this is really the art of the Muses this depends decisively on the ability of the that the dreams assiduously urged me to practitioner to put his/her imprint competence compose. (...) I wasd haunted all my life by a both on the patient and the environment together certain dream that under changing guises, always (assistance gathered in his/her office that may gave me the same exhortation: Socrates,the art consist of family and friends of the patient, as Muses be your diligence. And I, until now, I used well as from the doctor’s peers and team. (...) to understand that the urge and encouragement According to recent medical judgment the of the dream had in mind exactly what I was contemporary concern for diagnostics - namely doing, the same as a runner is encouraged by the the idea that the recognized mission or ithe core viewers: I thought that through the art of the action of the physician is to explain the Muses the dream meant the highestmusic, I mean significance of the patient’s condition –ultimately philosophy, my usual occupation. Now, after the depends on the role self-assigned of the doctor trial and after the celebration of the god delayed as an authorized factor to explain the values ​​of my end, I thought maybe the dream still has in contemporary society. The disease is thus raised view the art of Musesin its common sense and to the status of a moral category and the sorting that I ought to obey. (...) And so I firstly composed out of symptoms should be seen therefore best a hymn to the god celebrated right now, then I as a semiotics taxonomy system - or,in the thought that the poet, if he is a poet, should not Russian semiotic language, a secondary modeling sing true events, but to invent „(60 d, e, 61). system „. (Pazukhin, 1972, p. 107-108) (Platon, 2006) Thus it is that Socrates tells us in Thomas A. Sebeok says that a sign is an icon his apology (22 b, c) that poets do not out of the when there is a topological similarity between a wisdom (they have sophia) what they do, but through signifier and its denoted objects. It is known that a natural endowment and the power of inspiration, the concept of icon is inherited from Plato’s like the prophets and oraclesillustrator. philosophy, namely his theory about mimesis. At Plato tells us that Socrates believes that over Plato we find the idea that art in general (in the poets, when they get inspired there works which the poetry is included) presents itself as the madness coming from the gods. And so it is that an imitation: mimesis. In Plato’s Socratic dialogues the poets, when inspired by the muses, are driven we find poetry as theartsof muses. With this art by a desire to enlighten the mind and soul of Socrates will attempt to translate the dream, that those close to them to show the beauty: „The is fantasia. The philosopher born in Alôpekê, third image of madness and of the holy possession Attica in 470 BC, when he was explaining his does not come from the Muses. If it lodges in a belief that after death something else was awaiting gentle and pure soul, it arouses him and exalts for him, something better for the good than for him and drives him to various songs and poems; the evil, something for philosophers, that is, due to this image, the countless actions of our when explaining the theory of immortality by ancestors takes on the garb of beauty and

International Journal of Communication Research 47 Paul GORBAN enlightens the mind and soul of the successors common; the contrary process of iconization is But he who, lacking the madness that comes rarely met. from the Muses, arriving at the gate of poetry, •The iconicity, Thomas A. Sebeok suggests, confident that he will get in here by none other plays a fundamental role in shaping everyday than his craft is an imperfect poet, and his poetry life in all cultures. The iconic signs floodthe - only moderation - fades before the one nourished human beings communication codes, the verbal by the holy madness. „(245) (Platon, 2006). and non-verbal ones. Democritus too says that when the poet writes • The iconic signs are to be found throughout with bliss and divine breath it is in a beautiful the whole phylogenetic series, in all ways as they way. are circumscribed by the sense organs through Plato in the Ion, talks about a chain of which the members of a given species are able to inspiration, which opens the Muse,passing learn about their environment. Counterfeiting through the poet to the listener. (The poems in signs, in fact all delusion maneuvers undertaken antiquity were heard uttered in public, wearing by plants, animals as well as by the people a music which also aimed to attract attention.) depend on iconicity. According to Plato, the poetry appears in the •The unresolved enigmas about the human being when it is penetrated by the divine omnipresent way of production, storage and grace and he loses control of himself, deserted transmission of occurrences as iconic signs the reason. As long the poet retains his judgment abound. Some of them related to logic, some to he has no power to write poetry: „As long as he psycho-physiology, others to ethology. Their keeps his judgment, no man has the power to resolution, shows Sebeok, expects the emergence create poetry to give voice, in verse, to a of some analytical instruments, among which by prediction” (see Plato, Ion, 543 b , trans. Dan far the most promising seem to come from the Sluşanschi Peter Crete). The poetry appears at catastrophe theory, which will be likely submitted the ancient philosophers as an art that is meant to topological analysis. to make man more handsome, like gods, to make Referring to the index, Thomas A. Sebeok says him love life, and to gain confidence in his that a sign can be indexed insofar as its signifier abilities, to celebrate through song the dayslived is contiguous with its signified or it is a sample with the gods. of it. In this regard, the semiotician shows that a Daily life is invaded by numerous iconic given object can function to some extent as iconic representations that we might call cultural sign, as index or as symbol. He brings the example identity icons, anthropological, or geographical the U.S.A. flag and says: Sebeok,( 2002, p. 116- icons ormotivated. The first category icons we 117) could assign to a certain culture, they demonstrate •The iconicity move to the fore when the a particular civilization or organization, while attention of the interpretersets on the organized the geographic icons or motivated, in our view, seven red stripes of the flag alternating with six are icons from other cultures, but who come other white ones(identical together with the through some motivation degree in contact with number of founding colonies) or on the number a particular culture. The contemporary society, of white stars grouped in a unique blue field governed by the idea of ​​cultural globalization (fully identical to the number of States in the and, even more of religious globalization, is Union). choked by geografic icons imported from certain • In a cavalry charge, say, the flag was usually cultural areas. used to imperatively guide, in an indexical Thomas A. Sebeok, adopting P. Bouissac’s maneuver, to a target. positions on the essential features of iconicity • The debates following the recent decision suggests that they may be summarized as follows: of the Supreme Court on cases of flag burning (Sebeok, 2002, p. 136-141) present the USA flag as anemotionally overloaded • There are no pure iconic signs; continuing matter, being a symbol subspecies. Ayer, Sebeok shows that in fact, no real sign is an Thomas A. Sebeok calls symbol (Sebeok, 2002, icon.The transformation deiconization is p. 79) a sign devoid of similarity or contiguity,

48 Volume 6 • Issue 1, January / March 2016 • THE CODING AND DECODING OF THE SIGN AT THOMAS A. SEBEOK but only with a conventional connection between name. The individuals are identified using signifier and the signified objects, and with an names/numours verbally certified, such as a intentional class for itssignified. He states that personal name or a PCN (personal code/ feature conventional connection, which at Peirce is identification number), and with a lot of non- that abitrary character,is introduced to distinguish verbal indicators. Thomas A. Sebeok shows that the symbol from the iconic sign, the index, while all the species that emit live signals, utter a steady the feature intension is necessary to distinguish stream of dentificatorsthat is postings identifying it by name. their source in one or more ways: in terms of In recent decades the specialists in semiotics species, the reproductive status, the position in have discussed a number of subspecies of space or time the rank in a social hierarchy, etc. symbols including: the allegory, the mark, the Besides the six species of signs that we have brand name, the division, the emblem, the presented here Thomas A. Sebeok often makes badges etc. In this regard, Ekman and Friesen allusionsto other signs too, such as: the display, have reintroduced and reactivated the notion of the allegory, the descriptor, the slogan, the chart, emblem: the emblems are different from most the effigy the logo, the emblem, the identifier, the other nonverbal behaviors firstly through use image indicator, the badges, the trademark, the and especially through their relationship with brand name, the metaphor, the numour,the the verbal behavior, the consciousness and the ID-plate, the signature, the syndrome and the intentionality. The emblems are those non-verbal mark. acts that have a direct verbal translation or a dictionary definition, usually consisting of a References word or two, or maybe a sentence. This definition or verbal translation of the emblem is well known SEBEOK, T. A. (2002) Semnele. O introducere în semiotică. Ed. S. Măcrulescu. Bucureşti:Humanitas Publishing by all the members of a group, of a class or House. p. 30-31. culture ...the people are almost always aware of ALIGHIERI, D. (1971) Despre arta cuvântului în limba the use of emblems, that is they know when to vulgar in Opere minore. translation P. Creţia,. use an emblem, can repeat it if asked to do it and Bucureşti:E.L.U. p. 535. they will take the communication responsibility BÜHLER, K. (1934) Sparachtheorie: Die Darstellungsfunktion for it. „ (EKMAN & FRIESEN, 1969) der Sprache. Jena: Fiscjer, p. 28. PLATON (2006) Phaidon sau despre suflet. Translator P. The last category of sign that Thomas A. CREŢIA. Bucureşti: Humanitas Publishing House , p. Sebeok distinguishes in the sign system is the 41-42. name. According to the semiotician, the sign that EKMAN, P. & FRIESEN, W.V., (1969) the Repertoire of has an extensional class for its signified is Nonverbal Behavoir: Categories, Origins, Usage, and Coding. calledname. In doing so, he shows that individuals San Francisco:Semiotica, p. 59. denoted by a proper name have no common PAZUKHIN, R. (1972) The Concept of Signal. Lingua property except the fact that they respond to that Poznaniensis. 16. p. 43.

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