1. War Languages, 2009 Semiotics Vesa Matteo Piludu University of Helsinki

2. Semiotics The term, which was spelled semeiotics (Greek: σημειωτικός, semeiotikos, an interpreter of signs) was first used in English by Henry Stubbes (1670, p. 75) in a very precise sense to denote the branch of medical science relating to the interpretation of signs Plato and Aristotle both explored the relationship between signs and the world, and Augustine considered the nature of the sign within a conventional system. More recently, Umberto Eco, in his Semiotics and philosophy of language, has argued that semiotic theories are implicit in the work of most, perhaps all, major thinkers. Semiotics, semiotic studies, or semiology is the study of sign processes (semiosis), or signification and communication, signs and symbols, both individually and grouped into sign systems. It includes the study of how meaning is constructed and understood.

3. The tree ”souls” of Semiotics Semantics: Relation between signs and the things they refer to, their denotata. (icon and meaning) Syntactics: Relation of signs to each other in formal structures (systems of symbols, web of signification) Pragmatics: Relation of signs to their impacts on those who use them (social, psicological impact)

4. Meaning process Pierce Triadic system and Saussure Dyadic system

5. Signs Shop

6. Anthroposemiotics, Sociosemiotics and Biosemiotics This discipline is frequently seen as having important anthropological dimensions (humanistic) But … it is relevant also for social studies (communication, sociology, political studies) … And the communication of information in living organisms is covered in biosemiotics or zoosemiosis

7. Semiotics in Europe In Italy … semiotics is strongly connected to language, communication, cultural and religious studies (Umberto Eco, Omar Calabrese, Augusto Ponzio, Massimo Leone … and many others) In Bulgaria semiotics is linked with advertizing studies (New Bulgarian University os Sofia, Kristian Bankov) In Lithuania there is the relevant Greimas Institute Estonia (Tartu) is an important center for Cultural Semiotic (Juri Lotman) and Biosemiotics (Kalevi Kull)

8. Semiotics in Helsinki In Helsinki semiotic is strongly connected with art research and cultural studies Musical Semiotic (Eero Tarasti) Existential Semiotics (Eero Tarasti) Semiotic of Arts (Harri Veivo) Methodology (Merja Bauters) Dario Martinelli (zoosemiotics) Philosophical Semiotic (Pierce studies, Mats Bergman, Pietarinen) Cultural Semiotics – semiotic of war (Piludu)

9. English Couses on Semiotics http://www.helsinki.fi/taitu/english/semiotics.htm

10. Semiotic in Finland Rovaniemi (Media) Tampere (Theatre) Turku Imatra Network University of Semiotics Virastokatu 1 (Cultural Centre) 55100 IMATRA tel. +358 20 617 6700, +358 20 617 6639 http://www.semiotics.fi/en/

11. Semiotic communication Social and cultural Contexts Adresser (sender of message) Message (communicative act based on a system of signs and on a code) Code (language, visual, musical code…) Sign or signs (Icon) Meaning of the sign Adressee (receiver of the message) Communication I – he/she, I-I (self reflection), we-they (ethnic), mass communication (media) The communication defines not only the signs and their role, but also the identities of the adresser and the adressee (Lotman, Bachtin)