This document provides an overview of semiotics, the study of signs and symbols. It discusses the founders and key concepts of the field. Specifically, it notes that semiotics is the study of communication through interpretation of signs and symbols. It then discusses the founders Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Sanders Peirce. Peirce distinguished between icons, indexes, and symbols. Icons resemble what they represent, indexes have a causal relationship but no resemblance, and symbols have no resemblance but are determined by rules governing their meaning. The document also mentions that for Saussure, there is no actual relationship between the signifier and signified.

1. Semiotics
The science of communication studied
through the interpretation of signs and
symbols as they operate in various fields,
esp. language

2. Semiotics
Developed by
Ferdinand de Saussure
and
Charles S. Peirce

3. Semiotics
Peirce
Peirce distinguished between Icons,
Indexes, and Symbols.

4. Semiotics
Peirce
An Icon resembles that which it stands
for.

5. “The Treachery of
Images”
by
René Magritte
*This is not a pipe.

6. Semiotics
Peirce
An Index does not resemble an object,
but instead refers to it by a causal link
(smoke to indicate fire).

7. Semiotics
Peirce
A Symbol is determined by the laws
that govern an object, but otherwise
has no similarity or cause related to the
object.

8. STAR
LIGHTEN
OR
SHINE
ANUBIS

9. Semiotics
Saussure
No actual relationship between the
signifier (the word or symbol) and the
signified (the meaning).

10. MONTAIGNE
FATHER OF THE
MODERN ESSAY

12. TYPES OF
ESSAYS
• COMPARE AND
CONTRAST ESSAYS
• NARRATIVE (OR
PERSONAL) ESSAYS
• ARGUMENTATIVE
• ANALYTICAL
ESSAYS
• CRITICAL
ESSAYS
• RESEARCH

13. VOICE
FORMAL OR INFORMAL
HUMOROUS OR SERIOUS
CASUAL OR ACADEMIC

14. CONTENT
LITERARY, SCIENTIFIC, PERSONAL,
PRIMARY RESEARCH,
PHILOSOPHICAL, LOGICAL,
EMOTIONAL, QUANTITATIVE,
QUALITATIVE, ANECDOTAL, BUSINESS-
ORIENTED, PERSUASIVE,

15. The following pairings are assigned to interview one another via Blackboard Collaborate Ultra
on Friday, January 29. Choose one aspect of this person to interview them about. Prepare
questions, based on this, to use in your interview. Be sure to have some means of recording
the interview (even a phone with a recording app would suffice). You will be producing a
short written summary about your interview subject to be posted to the Discussion Board the
following week (details to be posted in our following week’s assignment list).
Groups for my Section 4 class:
Jacob & Austen Cameron & Alexander
Connor & Brandon Sam & Maddy
Bri & William Phillip & Arvin
Olga & Sara Josh & Mr. Koss

16. The following pairings are assigned to interview one another via Blackboard Collaborate Ultra
on Friday, January 29. Choose one aspect of this person to interview them about. Prepare
questions, based on this, to use in your interview. Be sure to have some means of recording
the interview (even a phone with a recording app would suffice). You will be producing a
short written summary about your interview subject to be posted to the Discussion Board the
following week (details to be posted in our following week’s assignment list).
Groups for my Section 22 class:
Andrew & Esther Abby & Vinny
Jackson & Bria Ben & Cody
Colin & Mr. Koss