Semiotics: The Science of Signs

Semiotics is defined as the discipline studying and documenting signs, sign behavior, sign creation, and sign functions. It is an intellectually powerful cross-disciplinary analytical tool in the study of such sign-based phenomena as body language, aesthetic products, cultural systems, visual communication, media, advertising, narratives, material culture (fashion, cuisine, etc.), rituals, and communication in digital spaces. This textbook aims to introduce semiotics to a broad audience, covering theoretical, methodological, and applied aspects in a user-friendly way but also comprehensively. Unlike most elementary treatments, the textbook also looks at applications of semiotic analysis to such increasingly significant areas as Artificial Intelligence and the influence of new media on social evolution. Contents: 1. Basic Principles and Notions (Historical Sketch. Basic Principles. Meaning.Semiosis). 2. The Sign (The Saussurean Model. The Peircean Model. Opposition Theory. The Semantic Differential, Markedness. Post-Structuralism). 3. Sign Types (Icons. Indexes. Symbols. Names. Symptoms and Signals). 4. Texts (Textuality. Narrative Texts. The Book. Digital Texts. Visual Texts). 5. Codes (Code Theory. The Language Code. Nonverbal Codes. Material Culture Codes. Architectural Codes). 6. Conceptual Metaphors (Background. Conceptual Metaphor Theory. Idealized Cognitive Models. Metonymy and Irony. Blending). 7. The Arts (Art. The Performing Arts. Music. The Visual Arts. Cinema). 8. The Mind (Philosophy. Psychology. Neuroscience. Evolutionary Psychology. Meme Theory) 9. Artificial Minds (Artificial Intelligence. The Singularity. Cybernetics. Posthumanism. Transhumanism). 10. Media (The Global Village. Laws of Media. Figure-Ground. Economy and Efficiency). References. Basic Glossary of Semiotics. Index.