Semiotics

History

The importance of signs and significances has been recognized throughout much of history of philosophy, and also in psychology, Plato and Aristotle both explored relationships between signs and the world, these theories have had a great impact throughout western philosophy, especially throughout scholastic philosophy, more recently Umberto Eco, in his book semiotics and the philosophy of language, has argued that the work of most semiotic theories are implied in the work of most and all major thinkers through out the world .

DefinationIt is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation.Derived from Greek word “semiotikos” meaning “interpreter of signs”. Based on “semiosis”, it is the relationship between a sign, object and a meaning. The sign represents the ‘object’ or ‘referent’ in the mind of an ‘interpreter’ ‘ Interpretant’ is the effect of a sign on the person who reads and comprehends it.‘ Interpretant’ also refers to a sign that serves as the representation of an object. It is the ways in which people devise means for transmitting that understanding and sharing it with others. Natural and artificial languages are central to semiotics, though its field covers all non-verbal signalling. Knowledge, meaning, intention and action are therefore fundamental concepts in the theory of Semiotics.

Signs and Symbols

Sign is a symbol which is understood to refer to something other than itself , while Symbol is an object that represents, stands for or suggest an idea or visual images.

Historical Figures

Feridinand De SassureCharles PierceRoland Barthes

Ferdinand De Sassure

He was a Swiss linguistic who created the term “semiotics”Explored signs in relation to language•Construction of signs and their meaning rather than the structures of specific languages Signifier – the physical element, the actual spoke nor written word Signified – the mental concept, the idea of the sign•Assigned by time, convention and practice• Relational and depends on its difference from other words “ the sign is the whole that results from the association of the signifier with the signified” (Saussure)Saussure´s model of the sign refers only to a concept and not to a thing .Example:The signifier is the word ‘Tree’ The signified is the image of a tree in a park or forest Same signifier can stand for different signifieds depending on the context Saussure was focusing on the linguistic sign (such as a word) The link between signified and signifier is arbitrary (nothing ‘treeish’ about word ‘tree’) No specific signifier is ‘naturally’ more suited to a signified than another Saussure was more concerned about linguistic signs and speech

More examples of signs

Signifier: Brown Cross Signified:a symbol of religion, or to be more specific this is a symbol of ChristianitySignifier: Red Signified: To stop or dangerSignifier:Heart Signified:a symbol of love and affection

Semiotics is broken down into three different branches:Semantics: This is relation between signs and what they refer to, their dentate, what they meanSyntactic: relations between signs in formal structurePragmatics: relation between sign and their effects.Semiotics is know for having important anthropological dimensions.

Semiology

Language– the system of signifier/signified,or linguistic signsparole – the practical application of the system within a specific language, or act of speech

Roland Barthes He was a French literary theorist , critic and like Saussure was also interested in semiotics. His semiotic theory focuses on how signs and photographs represent different cultures and ideologies in different ways. Denotation and Connotation –  Denotation is the object that we can see in an image (text). –  Connotation means what the object means and the metaphors of the object A connotative response is less fixed that a denotative response and the associations ‘signified’ may well depend upon the individual, society or culture.Roland Barthes argued that some connotations are so widely held that they reach the level of ‘myth’.Barthesian ‘myths’ have nothing to do with stories or legends and should not necessarily be seen as falsehoods. A ‘myth’ according to Barthes is where a‘socially agreed’ symbolic association becomes so widely accepted that it is seen as iconic.Myth - Refers to the collective , unconscious meaning created as the result of a semiotic process.Barthes proposed that a myth is a chain of semiotic events which when experienced or seen by members of society creates a subconscious meaning. Myths are ‘powerful chains of concepts’ by which we understand our world. Myths are constructed but often appear natural, a part of reality itselfMetonymy refers to the ability of a sign to represent the ‘whole’ of something while literally being only a part of it. The Eiffel Tower is a metonym for Paris, a palm fringed beach is a metonym for Tahiti, a TV news graphic of a tank passing a village church is a metonym for the war in Bosnia.Film uses metonyms a lot because as signifiers they are economic users of time in a text.

Connotation Denotation

Rose

RedFlowerThornsNaturePlant

PassionLovePowerPoisonHurtSoothe

Charles PierceHe was a logician and had a career in Philosophy and Math.Peirce´s sign definition “ Something which stands to somebody for something in respect or capacity” (Peirce) Explored the sign within the broader context of: Ontology – study of pure being and the essence of thingsPhenomenology – study of experiencing phenomena in the world Peirce´s sign definition :Representamen – form which the sign takes (not necessarily material)Object – to which the sign refers Interpretant – idea, interpretation in mind

Three classes of signs

Symbol o signifier does not resemble the signified (fundamentally arbitrary or purely conventional) oThat which indicates without implied meaning .Often has a causal relationship with the messageIcon o signifier is perceived as resembling or imitating the signified o An object, mark or sound whose relevance is defined by conventionIndex o signifier is directly connected in some way (physically or causally) to the signified o Communicate through analogy or resemblance to that which they signifyThere are no pure icons – there is always an element of cultural convention involved Iconic and Indexical signs are more likely to be read as ‘natural’ than symbolic signs.

WHY ?Semiotics can be a very useful tool in textual analysis in terms of uncovering the meaning of a textYou can use the principles of Semiotics to analyze existing media productsSemioticians look closely at film shots in order to break down their messages into systems of signs and codes.