Lecture on semiotics

1. Semiotics
General Theory of Signs
3 credits (local); 4,5 credits (ECTS)
Spring 2006
Vilnius University. Faculty of Communication

2. Contacts
• Class Meetings: Friday, 14:00 -16:00
(seminar); 16-18 (lecture). Room 204
• Instructor: Assoc. Prof., Dr. Algirdas
Budrevičius
• Office: room 603. Department of Information and
Communication
• Office hours: Wednesday, 11:30 – 13:30 am.
• E-mail a.budrevicius@kf.vu.lt
• Office phone 8 5 2366119

3. What is Semiotics?
• Study of signs.
• Semiotics is the study of the life of signs in
society.
• Sign is anything that can stand for or
represent something.

4. Modern Semiotics
• The modern Semiotics is a general science of signs and
meaning proposed by C.S.Peirce and F.de Saussure, in
the early years of 20th century. The modern Semiotics
has contributed to a paradigm shift in social and cultural
studies of the 20th century, as structuralism
poststructuralism etc. The modern Semiotics provides an
important a theoretical framework to understand
phenomena of media culture and mass society.
The modern Semiotics has its epistemological roots in
the works of the early modern Semiotics, or Classic
Philosophy, as R. Descartes, J. Locke, G. Leibniz, that
formulated a philosophical project to found a
philosophical language and grammar to unify sciences.

5. Semiotics vs/ semiology
• Semiotics vs/ semiology: synonyms, or:
• Semiotics – general theory of signs
• Semiology – linguistic tradition in the
theory of signs

6. Semiotics vs. semeiotics
• Synonims, or:
• Semiotics – modern semiotics;
• Semeiotics – an ancient (Greek)
semiotics, as a branch in medical science
• Medical semiotics is subdivided into
anamnestic, diagnostic, and prognostic.
• Modern form Semiotics is adopted by
Morris

7. Scientiffic status of semiotics
• - still a topic of debate.
• Project or doctrine?
• Others: discipline, approach, method,
theory, etc.

8. Roots of semiotics
• Semantics (including philosophy of
language)
• Logic
• Rhetoric
• Hermeneutics

9. Examination and assessment
• Examination: end-of-term exam, written
and oral form
• Assessment: Class work 20% of final
grade, project (paper) 30%, end-of-term
exam 50%

10. Aims and objectives
• The course aims to provide knowledge on the
theory of signs and its application in accounting
for the processes of communication and
cognition.
• The main objectives of the course are to acquire
skills in classifying signs, revealing their
meaning, and using them correctly in
communication.

11. Texts, Readings, Websites
• Encyclopedic Dictionary of Semiotics. Ed. Thomas A. Sebeok. Berlin; New
York: Mouton de Gruyter, 1986. Vol. 1-2.
• Recommended websites: Sites of Significance for Semiotics.
http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/french/as-sa/EngSem1.html
• Semiotics. Martin Ryder. University of Colorado at Denver.
http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~mryder/itc_data/semiotics.html
• The Commens Dictionary of Peirce's Terms
http://www.helsinki.fi/science/commens/dictionary.html
• Introductions to semiotics (a local text disscussing the main introductory
books on semiotics).
• More entries will be given during the semester

12. COURSE DESCRIPTION
• Semiotics is the study of the life of signs.
Signs are anything that can stand for or
represent something. The course
provides theories and practices useful for
critical thinking. Students will develop an
understanding of semiotics and its
application to the analysis of signs in
communication.

13. Topics of this course (for general
orientation)
• Signs as basis for communication and cognition. History of
semiotics (Aristotle, Augustinus, Locke). Contemporary semiotics
(Peirce, Saussure, Morris). Binary and triadic sign models. Semiotic
triangle. Sign and meaning. Sign as representation. Classification of
signs using universal categories (Ch. S. Peirce). Classification of
signs according to relation to the object (the signified): symbols,
indices, icons, metaphors, diagrams. Sign as homomorphism.
Qualitative and numerical signs. Ambiguity of signs. System of
signs.
• Descriptive semiotics. Sign and computer. Leibniz's binary system
and universal language (Characteristica universalis). Homogeneous
and heterogeneous signs. Etymology of hieroglyphic signs.
Symbolism of I Ching. Semiotic interpretation of Escher's drawings.
• Course description: http://trs.cr.vu.lt/courses/?
content=course&numeris=132

14. Written assignment (hardcopy)
• Topic: Semiotics in your country (related institutions,
related university courses, journals, etc.)
• Up to 3 pages of text compiled from the internet search
results, including full bibliographic descriptions of the
entries. Analyze the text and formulate your own opinion
on the topic (5-10 short sentences).
• Present in a verbal and printed form during the seminar.
• Due: next week