Post-Modernism, Post-Structuralism, Post-Semiotics? Sign Theory at the *FIn De Siècle
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Notes on Peirce's Semiotics and Epistemology
DIAGRAMMATIC THINKING: NOTES ON PEIRCE’S SEMIOTICS AND EPISTEMOLOGY Luis Radford In this paper, I discuss the role of diagrammatic thinking within the larger context of cognitive activity as framed by Peirce’s semiotic theory of and its underpinning realistic ontology. After a short overview of Kant’s scepticism in its historical context, I examine Peirce’s attempt to rescue perception as a way to reconceptualize the Kantian “manifold of senses”. I argue that Peirce’s redemption of perception led him to a se- ries of problems that are as fundamental as those that Kant encountered. I contend that the understanding of the difficulties of Peirce’s epistemol- ogy allows us to better grasp the limits and possibilities of diagrammatic thinking. Keywords: Culture; Diagrammatic thinking; Kant; Peirce; Perception; Semiotics Pensamiento Diagramático: Notas sobre la Semiótica y la Epistemología de Peirce En este artículo se discute el papel que desempeña el concepto de pen- samiento diagramático en el contexto de la actividad cognitiva, tal y como es concebida dentro del marco de la teoría semiótica de Peirce y su subyacente ontología realista. Luego de presentar una visión general del escepticismo kantiano en su contexto histórico, se examina el esfuer- zo de Peirce por rescatar la percepción, esfuerzo que lo lleva a indagar de manera innovadora el “multiespacio de los sentidos” del que habla- ba Kant. Se mantiene que este esfuerzo lleva a Peirce a una serie de problemas que son tan fundamentales como los que Kant encontró en su propio itinerario epistemológico. Se sostiene que la comprensión de las dificultades intrínsecas a la epistemología de Peirce nos permite cernir mejor los límites y posibilidades de su pensamiento diagramático. -
Semiotics As a Cognitive Science
Elmar Holenstein Semiotics as a Cognitive Science The explanatory turn in the human sciences as well as research in "artifi- cial intelligence" have led to a little discussed revival of the classical Lockean sub-discipline of semiotics dealing with mental representations - aka "ideas" - under the heading of "cognitive science". Intelligent be- haviour is best explained by retuming to such obviously semiotic catego- ries as representation, gmbol, code, program, etc. and by investigations of the format of the mental representations. Pictorial and other "sub-linguisric" representations might be more appropriate than linguistic ones. CORRESPONDENCE: Elmar Holenstein. A-501,3-51-1 Nokendal, Kanazawa-ku Yoko- hama-shl, 236-0057, Japan. EMAIL [email protected] The intfa-semiotic cognitive tum Noam Chomsky's declaration that linguistics is a branch of psychology was understood by traditional linguists as an attack on the autonomous status of their science, a status which older structuralism endorsed by incorporating language (as a special sign system) into semiotics. Semiotics seemed to assure that genuinely linguistic relationships (grammatical and semantic relationships) were not rashly reduced to psychological or biological relationships (such as associations or adaptations). If it is looked at more closely in conjunction with the general development of the sciences in the 20th Century, the difference between Chomsky (1972: 28), who regards linguistics as a subfield of psychol- ogy, and Ferdinand de Saussure (1916: 33), for whom it is primarily a branch of "semiology", comes down to the fact that Saussure assigns linguistics in a descriptive perspective to universal semiotics, whereas Chomsky assigns it in an explanatory perspective to a special semiotics. -
Modern Criticism and Theory
MODC_C15.qxd 12/13/07 1:52 PM Page 280 15 Michel Foucault Introductory note Michel Foucault (1926–84) was, at the time of his death, Professor of the History of Systems of Thought at the Collège de France in Paris, a title that succeeds (or fails) as much as any other single phrase in the effort to encapsulate his unique, inter-disciplinary field of research. He has been variously described as philo- sopher, social scientist, and historian of ideas. He was certainly one of the most powerful and influential figures in a remarkable galaxy of intellectual stars who shone in Paris in the 1960s and 70s. Foucault was often at pains to deny that he was a ‘structuralist’, but he may legitimately be described as a post-structuralist. Structuralism ignored or dis- trusted the superficial appearances or commonsense view of cultural phenomena in its efforts to grasp the conditions of their possibility. Foucault did the same, but where the structuralists, like Lévi-Strauss, or the early Barthes, used language and linguistics as their methodological model or tool, Foucault used the history of social and political institutions and discourses. As one of his commentators (Paul Robinow) has said, ‘Foucault is highly suspicious of claims to universal truths. He doesn’t refute them; instead his consistent response is to historicize grand abstrac- tions.’ His example has had a powerful effect upon the writing of literary history in Britain and America. The essay ‘What is an Author?’ is typical of this historicizing approach. Foucault shows that the idea of the author, which we tend to take for granted, as a timeless, irreducible category, is, rather, a ‘function’ of discourse which has changed in the course of history. -
Encoding/Decoding, the Transmission Model and a Court of Law
Final Revision: Title: Encoding/Decoding, the Transmission Model and a Court of Law Keyan G. Tomaselli Abstract: Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model is discussed in terms of CS Peirce’s theory of the interpreter and interpretant. This historical semiotic window frames an example to which the Hall model was applied in South Africa to oppose a military dirty tricks campaign that involved a Supreme Court case brought against the Minister of Defence by the End Conscription Campaign (ECC) requiring him to cease his disinformation against the ECC. The Minister’s own expert had proposed a transmission model of communication that was defeated by the Peirce-Hall combination. The author argues that the model can be massively strengthened when combined with Peirceian semiotics. Keywords: Stuart Hall, encoding/decoding, CS Peirce, Phaneroscopy, semiotics, reception Media-society relations are best studied within the broader conceptual environment facilitated by the circuit of culture model (Du Gay et al., 1997) that mimics Karl Marx’s circle of capitalist production, distribution and exchange. The model implicitly incorporated Stuart Hall’s (1981) ground-breaking encoding-decoding relationship. My argument will be that Charles Sanders Peirce’s (Hartshorne and Weiss, 1931-5) idea of the ‘interpretant’ – the idea to which the sign gives rise - was a crucial, if unspoken, progenitor of Hall’s model. Working at the same time as Hall, Umberto Eco (1972) had proposed “aberrant decoding” on which Hall must have drawn, as his chapter refers to a semiological article on encoding. The early Stencilled Occasional Paper and Hutchinson book series’ that mapped out the early Birmingham University Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (CCCS) project under Stuart Hall’s leadership identified the following semiological/semiotic sources also: Roland Barthes, Jonathan Culler and V.I. -
Peirce's Theory of Communication and Its Contemporary Relevance
Ahti-Veikko Pietarinen Peirce’s Theory of Communication and Its Contemporary Relevance Introduction The mobile era of electronic communication has created a huge semi- otic system, constructed out of triadic components envisaged by the American scientist and philosopher Charles S. Peirce (1839–1914), such as icons, indices and symbols, and signs, objects and interpretants. Iconic signs bear a physical resemblance to what they represent. Indices point at something and say “there!”, and symbols signify objects by conven- tions of a community.1 All signs give rise to interpretants in the minds of the interpreters. It is nonetheless regrettable that the somewhat simplistic triadic ex- posé of Peirce’s theory of signs has persisted in semiotics as the some- how exhaustive and final description of what Peirce intended. The more fascinating and richer structure of signs emerging from their intimate relation to intercommunication and interaction (Peirce’s terms) has been noted much less frequently. Despite this shortcoming, the full Peircean road to inquiry – per- formed by the dynamic community of learning inquirers, or the com- 1 In fact, according to Peirce (2.278 [1895]): “The only way of directly communi- cating an idea is by means of an icon; and every indirect method of communicating an idea must depend for its establishment upon the use of an icon.” Peirce’s chef d’œuvre came shortly after these remarks into being as his diagrammatic system of existential graphs, a thoroughly iconic representation of and a way of reasoning about “moving pictures of thought”, which encompassed not only propositional and predicate logic, but also modalities, higher-order notions, abstraction and category-theoretic notions. -
UC Berkeley Dissertations, Department of Linguistics
UC Berkeley Dissertations, Department of Linguistics Title Politeness in Japanese Sign Language (JSL): Polite JSL Expression as Evidence for Intermodal Language Contact Influence Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4jq1v247 Author George, Johnny Publication Date 2011 eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Politeness in Japanese Sign Language (JSL): Polite JSL expression as evidence for intermodal language contact influence By Johnny Earl George A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in LINGUISTICS in the GRADUATE DIVISION of the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY Committee in charge: Professor Eve Sweetser, Chair Professor Sharon Inkelas Professor Yoko Hasegawa Fall 2011 Politeness in Japanese Sign Language (JSL): Polite JSL expression as evidence for intermodal language contact influence © 2011 by Johnny Earl George 1 ABSTRACT Politeness in Japanese Sign Language (JSL): Polite JSL expression as evidence for intermodal language contact influence by Johnny Earl George Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics University of California, Berkeley Professor Eve Sweetser, Chair This dissertation shows how signers mark polite register in JSL and uncovers a number of features salient to the linguistic encoding of politeness. My investigation of JSL politeness considers the relationship between Japanese sign and speech and how users of these languages adapt their communicative style based on the social context. This work examines: the Deaf Japanese community as minority language users and the concomitant effects on the development of JSL; politeness in JSL independently and in relation to spoken Japanese, along with the subsequent implications for characterizing polite Japanese communicative interaction; and the results of two studies that provide descriptions of the ways in which JSL users linguistically encode polite register. -
Hypertext Semiotics in the Commercialized Internet
Hypertext Semiotics in the Commercialized Internet Moritz Neumüller Wien, Oktober 2001 DOKTORAT DER SOZIAL- UND WIRTSCHAFTSWISSENSCHAFTEN 1. Beurteiler: Univ. Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Wolfgang Panny, Institut für Informationsver- arbeitung und Informationswirtschaft der Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Abteilung für Angewandte Informatik. 2. Beurteiler: Univ. Prof. Dr. Herbert Hrachovec, Institut für Philosophie der Universität Wien. Betreuer: Gastprofessor Univ. Doz. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Veith Risak Eingereicht am: Hypertext Semiotics in the Commercialized Internet Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Doktors der Sozial- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften an der Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien eingereicht bei 1. Beurteiler: Univ. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Panny, Institut für Informationsverarbeitung und Informationswirtschaft der Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Abteilung für Angewandte Informatik 2. Beurteiler: Univ. Prof. Dr. Herbert Hrachovec, Institut für Philosophie der Universität Wien Betreuer: Gastprofessor Univ. Doz. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Veith Risak Fachgebiet: Informationswirtschaft von MMag. Moritz Neumüller Wien, im Oktober 2001 Ich versichere: 1. daß ich die Dissertation selbständig verfaßt, andere als die angegebenen Quellen und Hilfsmittel nicht benutzt und mich auch sonst keiner unerlaubten Hilfe bedient habe. 2. daß ich diese Dissertation bisher weder im In- noch im Ausland (einer Beurteilerin / einem Beurteiler zur Begutachtung) in irgendeiner Form als Prüfungsarbeit vorgelegt habe. 3. daß dieses Exemplar mit der beurteilten Arbeit überein -
A Diagrammatic Approach to Peirce's Classifications of Signs
A diagrammatic approach to Peirce’s classifications of signs1 Priscila Farias Graduate Program in Design (SENAC-SP & UFPE) [email protected] João Queiroz Graduate Studies Program on History, Philosophy, and Science Teaching (UFBA/UEFS) Dept. of Computer Engineering and Industrial Automation (DCA/FEEC/UNICAMP) [email protected] © This paper is not for reproduction without permission of the author(s). ABSTRACT Starting from an analysis of two diagrams for 10 classes of signs designed by Peirce in 1903 and 1908 (CP 2.264 and 8.376), this paper sets forth the basis for a diagrammatic understanding of all kinds of classifications based on his triadic model of a sign. Our main argument is that it is possible to observe a common pattern in the arrangement of Peirce’s diagrams of 3-trichotomic classes, and that this pattern should be extended for the design of diagrams for any n-trichotomic classification of signs. Once this is done, it is possible to diagrammatically compare the conflicting claims done by Peircean scholars re- garding the divisions of signs into 28, and specially into 66 classes. We believe that the most important aspect of this research is the proposal of a consolidated tool for the analysis of any kind of sign structure within the context of Peirce’s classifications of signs. Keywords: Peircean semiotics, classifications of signs, diagrammatic reasoning. 1. PEIRCE’S DIAGRAMS FOR 10 CLASSES OF SIGNS In a draft of a letter to Lady Welby composed by the end of December 1908 (dated 24-28 December, L463:132-146, CP 8.342-76, EP2:483-491; we will be referring to this diagram 1. -
Download/ Nwp File/2013/Notes on a Working Hypothesis.Pdf?X-R=Pcfile D
Psychosemiotics: communication as psychological action Marko Mili Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology) University of Western Sydney November 2008 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to my wife Juliana Payne for her patience, accessibility for debate on all issues, practical assistance, and help in avoiding clichés like the plague. My parents Petar and Nediljka Mili shared their enthusiasm for learning and balanced their encouragement with flexibility about the direction that their influence took. My sister, Angela Mili, provided moral and practical support. To my extended family—Ante, Maria, Mirko, Lina, Kristina, Anthony, and Nikolas Mili; and Steve and Veronica Harwood—thank you for your support for this project. Thanks to Megan McDonald for helpful grammatical-stylistic suggestions and to Domagoj Veli, who has been an enthusiastic supporter of this project from the beginning. Professor Philip Bell, Professor Theo van Leeuwen, Dr Scott Mann and Dr Phillip Staines provided me with valuable opportunities to assist in teaching their courses in mass media, semiotics, social theory and the philosophy of language. This experience has significantly enhanced the present work. My supervisor, Dr Agnes Petocz, consistently provided detailed and incisive feedback throughout the conception and execution of this work. Her vision of a richer science of psychology has been inspirational for me. As co-supervisor, Professor Philip Bell has been an exemplary mentor and model for post- disciplinary research. ii STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICATION The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original except as acknowledged in the text. I hereby declare that I have not submitted this material, either in whole or in part, for a degree at this or any other institution. -
Picasso's Cubism: Politics And/Or Semiosis
MIT 4.602, Modern Art and Mass Culture (HASS-D+CI) Spring 2012 Professor Caroline A. Jones Notes History, Theory and Criticism Section. Department of Architecture Lecture 10 SERIALISM & SEMIOSIS: Lecture 10: Picasso's Cubism: Politics and/or Semiosis 1990: Picasso's primitivism is part of a cultural discourse in which "Africa" conveyed widely accepted meanings that cannot be extricated from allusions to its art and people. - Patricia Leighton, 'The White Peril and I 'art m?gre ... " 1981 /'98: The extraordinary contribution of collage is that it is the first instance within the pictorial arts of anything like a systematic exploration of the conditions of representability entailed by the sign. - Rosalind Krauss, "In the Name of Picasso" I. Picasso's escape via Paris: from paternal academy, and provincialism A. The international "Youth Style" (Jugendstil, Joven Tut, Arte Joven magazines) B. Impressionist modes and motives, Barcelona -> Paris C. "Blue period" 1) the depressed fliineur (harlequin) 2) a "Moorish" Spaniard in France II. Picasso's escape from Paris: The Demoiselles d' A vignon A. Picasso's self-described "exorcism" - of what? B. The way modem abstraction works 1) African sculpture as "raisonnable ,. (conceptual) 2) towards a system of visual signs (away from representing towards signifying) C. Colonialist critique through performing the primitive (how different from Gauguin?) III. Cubism- hermetic language, or popular culture? A. "Braque, c 'est ma femme" - the codes of a private language 1) Georges Braque - wit, conceptualism, pattern, (French) fancypaint traditions 2) Pablo Picasso - weight, sculptural concerns, "modeling," oscillations between depth! surface B. The force of caricature in the portraits C. -
The Category of Code Is Widely Used Not Only in Semiotics, but Also In
Nadezda N. Izotova The category of code is widely used not only in PhD in Cultural Studies, Associate Professor of the semiotics, but also in other humanitarian disciplines Department of the Japanese, Korean, Indonesian and Mongolian languages, Moscow State Institute of and is significantly promising. French philosopher and International Relations (MGIMO) of the Ministry of cultural theorist Michel Foucault notes that the Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. 119454, 76 Vernadskogo av., Moscow, Russian Federation. fundamental codes of any culture play a key role in a ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2817-004X. person’s life and determine “the empirical orders with E-mail: [email protected]. which he will be dealing and within which he will be at Received in: Approved in: home” (FOUCAULT, 1977, p. 37). Despite different 2021-01-10 2021-02-02 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24115/S2446-6220202172681p.33-41 approaches to the classification and interpretation of the ontological status and to the culture code functioning, scholars agree that the culture code is a part of the cultural process, its semantic core, rather than a description of a cultural phenomenon per se. The relevance of understanding and interpreting culture codes is determined by the necessity of arranging, classifying, and analyzing the code systems. The decryption of the culture codes and the reconstruction of the corresponding historical and cultural contexts are vital tasks not only for culturology, but also for other humanities. The study of culture codes is regarded as one of the basic means for understanding the mentality and value orientations of both any particular individual and the “cosmo-psycho-logos” of any ethnic group (GACHEV, 1995). -
The Commutation Test and Chris Bacon's Score for Source Code As
The Commutation Test and Chris Bacon’s Score for Source Code as a Framework for Film Music Pedagogy Aaron Ziegel, Towson University he cinema, whether experienced at the neighborhood multiplex or streamed at home, is arguably the medium through which today’s col- lege-age Americans are most likely to encounter newly composed sym- Tphonic music. Given the ubiquity of the film-viewing experience, students are often eager to learn the tools and methodologies that can equip them to criti- cally assess and more fully comprehend the function of music in movies. The filmSource Code (2011), directed by Duncan Jones and scored by Chris Bacon, provides a particularly effective starting point through which this process can begin.1 This article will discuss the pedagogical potential found in the film’s main titles and the impact of applying a commutation test to this sequence. Although here I address one specific example, the methodology of the commu- tation test is easily adaptable to other circumstances, as the theoretical foun- dation will make clear. While variations on the commutation test are a regular occurrence in many film music classrooms, this essay aims to present an intro- ductory primer that may be of use to instructors interested in an entry point for incorporating film music studies into their teaching. With that in mind, the appendix presents one suggestion for how to create film clips for classroom use. The value of this classroom activity extends beyond providing students with an engaging and memorable learning experience. By situating this analysis I wish to express my gratitude to the many students at Towson University whose feedback and enthusiastic classroom participation, along with suggestions from the anonymous reviewers, helped me to refine the pedagogical approach described in this essay.