Showing papers on "Semiosphere published in 2010"

Ecosystems are Made of Semiosic Bonds: Consortia, Umwelten, Biophony and Ecological Codes

Abstract: The paper focuses on the semiotic principles of the organisation of ecosystems, attempting to find concepts that point to relations and not to elements. (1) Consortium (the term introduced by Johannes Reinke around 1873) can be defined as a group of organisms connected via (sign) relations, or groups of interspecific semiosic links in biocoenosis. The consortial relations include trophic and topic relations, both implying a recognition (identification) of the object by an organism involved (these, i.e., are sign relations). These relations are ecologically inheritable. (2) Umwelt (the term introduced by Jakob von Uexkull around 1909) can be defined as a set of relations an organism has in an ecosystem (as in a semiosphere). The formation of an umwelt is dependent on the modelling system of the organism. (3) Biophony (the term introduced by Bernie Krause around 2000) denotes the coordination of inter- and intra-species relations in a soundscape of a biological community. This can be seen as a special case of Komposition as defined by Jakob and Thure von Uexkull. (4) Ecological code (as introduced, e.g. by Alexander Levich around 1977) can be defined as the set of (sign) relations (regular irreducible correspondences) characteristic to an entire ecosystem. We also mention the concepts of ecomones and coactones (introduced by Marcel Florkin in 1965) as the substances which are responsible for mediation of ecological inter-individual relations. All the relations as sign-relations evidently imply both a static or structuralist description (in terms of codes), and a processual description (in terms of semiosis carried on by interpretation). We conclude that all the above mentioned concepts can be viewed as conceptually connected and are suitable for semiotic description of biological communities.

Enkinaesthesia, biosemiotics and the ethiosphere

Abstract: The dynamic plenisentient interrelation of agent and world is specified in kinaesthetic terms. Kinaes-thetic activity, with its temporal-spatial-energic qualities, is always affectively-laden, and through the formation of intercorporeal resonances, the activity necessitates enkinaesthetic entwining with those agents with whom, and those objects with which, we are in relations of perpetual community. I will argue that the capacity for enkinaesthetic dialogue is an a priori nomological condition for agency and the generation of a felt anticipatory dynamics both within and between agents. Enkinaesthesia emphasizes not just the neuromuscular dynamics of the agent, that is, the givenness and ownership of its experience but also the entwined, blended and situated co-affective feeling of the presence of the other (agential and non-agential alike) and, where appropriate, the enkinaesthetically anticipated arc of the other’s action or movement, including, again where appropriate, the other’s intentionality. The ‘other’ can be sensing and experiencing agents and it is their affective intentional reciprocity, their folding, enfolding and unfolding, which co-constitutes the conscious relation and the experientially recursive temporal dynamics that lead to the formation and maintenance of integral enkinaesthetic structures and melodies. Such deeply felt enkinaesthetic melodies emphasise the dia- logical nature of the feeling of being as the feeling of being-with or being-among, and demonstrate the paucity of individuating notions that treat agents as singular. Enkinaesthesia, as the openness to and reception of myriad subtle multi-drectional cues in dialogical relations, provides grounds for saying, following Heidegger, that it is this which constitutes the pri- mordial mood of care for human relationships and the deep roots of morality. If this is the case, then we might think of it as composing an ‘ethiosphere’ consistent with the semiosphere and the biosphere as presented by Hoffmeyer [1995 and 2008].

Entropy, Function and Evolution: Naturalizing Peircian Semiosis

Abstract: In the biosemiotic literature there is a tension between the naturalistic reference to biological processes and the category of ‘meaning’ which is central in the concept of semiosis. A crucial term bridging the two dimensions is ‘information’. I argue that the tension can be resolved if we reconsider the relation between information and entropy and downgrade the conceptual centrality of Shannon information in the standard approach to entropy and information. Entropy comes into full play if semiosis is seen as a physical process involving causal interactions between physical systems with functions. Functions emerge from evolutionary processes, as conceived in recent philosophical contributions to teleosemantics. In this context, causal interactions can be interpreted in a dual mode, namely as standard causation and as an observation. Thus, a function appears to be the interpretant in the Peircian triadic notion of the sign. Recognizing this duality, the Gibbs/Jaynes notion of entropy is added to the picture, which shares an essential conceptual feature with the notion of function: Both concepts are part of a physicalist ontology, but are observer relative at the same time. Thus, it is possible to give an account of semiosis within the entropy framework without limiting the notion of entropy to the Shannon measure, but taking full account of the thermodynamic definition. A central feature of this approach is the conceptual linkage between the evolution of functions and maximum entropy production. I show how we can conceive of the semiosphere as a fundamental physical phenomenon. Following an early contribution by Hayek, in conclusion I argue that the category of ‘meaning’ supervenes on nested functions in semiosis, and has a function itself, namely to enable functional self-reference, which otherwise mainfests functional break-down because of standard set-theoretic paradoxes.

Cognitive Sustainability in the Age of Digital Culture

Abstract: The aim of this article is to contextualize the implications of the expansion of digital culture in the on-going dis- cussions about the relations between sustainability and information and communication technologies. In order to relate the development of a global digital communication web, its effects on cultural processes and the issues of ecosystem and hu- man sustainability that humanity is facing, I will relate and elaborate on three aspects: 1) A Batesonean perspective on sustainability 2) The recent evolution of the technosphere, and 3) Yuri Lotman's notion of Semiosphere and his semiotic theory of culture. This path will lead me to delineate some of the eco-ethical dimensions implied in the development of pervasive digital-interactive-immersive-representational technologies.

An examination of the value of the concept of the Semiosphere in the study of mass communication: Testing the value and feasibility of a proposed research project

Abstract: The article is based on a paper presented at the 10th World Congress of the International Association for Semiotic Studies in collaboration with the International Communicology Institute, La Coruna, Spain, 22-26 September 2009. The article is a preliminary treatment of an investigation of Yuri Lotman.s concept of the i°semiospherei± as a meta-theory for future semiotic media analysis. In consecutive parts the author deals with research questions, provides a brief introduction to media semiotics and gives a brief summary of some of the characteristics of the new (postmodern) society and the new media landscape brought about by the development of information and communication technology - all of which necessitates a reinterpretation of theory and semiotic analysis. The article briefly introduces the so-called postmodern paradigm in media research with reference to chaos and practice theory. The author outlines what, according to him, are some of the shortcomings of media semiotics. Finally he explores some of the characteristics of Lotman.s semiosphere and suggests ways of how it could be applied to media analysis.

Ontology of information. Philosophical essays

Abstract: The information approach is practiced to study the Macrocosm (physical reality), biosphere, Microcosm (psychic reality), social reality, spiritual reality, and the technosphere. The ways in which scientists of different specialties understand information are characterized in detail. The interrelations between types of realities and types of information are revealed.

Lotman's semiosphere : a systems thinking approach to students' meaning-making practices with digital texts

Abstract: This thesis is concerned with Lotman's concept of semiosphere and its relevance to systems thinking in education. It examines the dialogue between education, digital technologies and society exemplified in students' meaning-making practices with digital texts in the UK secondary school Science classroom. The thesis has four aims: to theorise a systemic approach to the conceptualisation of semiosphere; to develop a semiospheric framework for systemic analysis; to explore how this framework can be applied to technology-mediated learning in UK schools; and to consider the implications of this framework for educational systems design. The thesis draws on the Lotmanian and semiospheric literature on the study of culture as an integral system. This literature is used to develop a framework for semiospheric analysis. I call this the Semiospheric Analytical Framework. This framework provides a systemic conceptualisation of Lotman's semiosphere on three levels: Semiosphere, Cultural Text, and Semiospheric Text. Six sub-concepts are also identified: core, periphery, boundary, dialogue, translation and explosion. The analytical utility of the framework is evaluated in an empirical study which focuses on students' meaning-making with digital texts in the secondary school Science classroom. The emergent themes of boundary-setting, boundarycrossing and boundary-blocking in students' negotiation of disparate sign systems (e.g. the Science classroom and the World Wide Web) are identified. The implications of these themes for an understanding of the dialogue between education, digital technologies and society are explored. The thesis demonstrates that the conceptualisation of culture as a semiospheric system offers a useful method for analysing the complex dialogue between education, digital technologies and society. It further suggests that, whilst students' meaning-making practices with digital texts in the school setting have the potential to transform teaching and learning, the 'reculturing' of school systems is, above all, a socially-shaped endeavour.

Entropy, function and evolution: naturalizing Peircian semiosis

Abstract: Cybersemiotics claims that the standard uses of the Shannon information concept as applied on systems with cognition and communication fail to account for the semantic dimension of semiosis This argument does not properly recognize the role of entropy in semiosis Entropy comes into full play if semiosis is seen as a purely physical process involving causal interactions between physical systems with functions Functions emerge from evolutionary processes, as conceived in recent philosophical contributions to teleosemantics In this context, causal interactions can be interpreted in a dual mode, namely as standard causation and as an observation Thus, a function appears to be the interpretand in the Peircian triadic notion of the sign Recognizing this duality, the Gibbs/Jaynes notion of entropy can be added to the picture, which shares an essential conceptual feature with the notion of function: Both concepts are a part of a physicalist ontology, but are observer relative at the same time Thus, it is possible to give an account of semiosis within the entropy framework without limiting the notion of entropy to the Shannon measure, but taking full account of the thermodynamic definition A central feature of this approach is the conceptual linkage between the evolution of functions and maximum entropy production

Pespuntes semióticos II

Abstract: El estudio parte de que todo ser humano accede a la semiosis de la reproduccion social, de su entorno existencial. Utilizando la nocion de semiosfera (Lotman), y derivaciones conceptuales como la de texto, en un sentido amplificado, se analizan tres aspectos de la experiencia social de un individuo: el fenomeno de la otredad, geografica y cultural; la ciudad como marca situacional e ideologica, incluido su tratamiento literario; y la conciencia de los contrastes en el devenir historico de un pais. The basis of this study is that all human beings are part of the semiosis of social reproduction, of their existential environment. Using the notion of semiosphere (Lotman), and conceptual derivations such as that of text, in a simplified sense, three aspects are analyzed regarding the social experience of an individual: the phenomenon of geographical and cultural othemess; the city as a situational and ideological sign, including its literary treatment; and the awareness of contrasts in a country's historical future.