B4971 - Semiotics and Ecology of Meaning (1)

Learning outcomes

The course explores the emergence of meaning as it is structured through different linguistic games and their ways of reducing or exploiting indeterminacy in communicative processes. In this perspective, attention will be focused on an ecology of meaning, with a particular emphasis on the symbolic mediations that enable the elaboration of forms of subjectivity and the promotion of institutions of meaning, such as science, justice, or art. The course aims to provide concrete skills and tools for the comparative analysis of systems and processes through which individual and collective practices promote and negotiate values and representations, drawing on both philosophical reflections on semiotic mediations and semiotic production oriented, on one hand, toward an epistemology of meaning and relation, and, on the other hand, toward a pragmatics of interactions.

Course contents

The course explores the contribution of semiotics to the understanding of meaning-making processes, with a focus on the ecological organization of languages, the interpretive functions they embody, and the institutions that regulate their emergence and transmission.

Particular attention will be devoted to metalinguistic devices and symbolic forms that structure the relationship between subjects and environments, contributing to the formation of shared knowledge and socially oriented practices.

Following a general introduction to the foundations of a semiotic ecology of meaning, the course will offer a series of focused studies on key notions such as metalinguage, interpretation, and translation.

The competencies students are expected to acquire include:

(i) in-depth knowledge of contemporary semiotic epistemology and its metalinguistic framework;

(ii) the ability to identify and critically relate different circuits of signification;

(iii) comparative analytical skills for interpreting both individual and collective practices.

Readings/Bibliography

Course materials—including a selection of articles and lecture notes—will be made available on the Virtuale platform.

 

Recommended readings:

• Vincent Descombes, Le istituzioni di senso, Genova, Marietti, 2006.

• Umberto Eco, Dire quasi la stessa cosa, Milano, Bompiani, 2003.

• Algirdas Julien Greimas, Del senso, Roma, Sossella editore, 2017.

• Algirdas Julien Greimas & Jacques Fontanille, Semiotica delle passioni, Milano, Bompiani.

• Paul Ricoeur, Algirdas Julien Greimas, Tra semiotica ed ermeneutica, Roma, Meltemi, 2000.

• Bruno Latour & Paolo Fabbri, “La retorica della scienza”, in P. Fabbri and G. Marrone (eds.), Semiotica in nuce, Vol. 1, Meltemi, Roma, 2000, pp. 260–79.

• Bruno Latour, Piccola filosofia dell’enunciazione, Roma, Aracne, 2017.

• François Rastier, Arti e scienze del testo, Roma, Meltemi (especially chapters 1, 2, and 4).

Teaching methods

The teaching will include lectures, analysis workshops, and commented readings in class.

Students with Disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

 Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders are entitled to appropriate accommodations, in accordance with their condition and upon evaluation by the University Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Students should not contact the professor directly, but book an appointment with the Service, which will determine the most suitable adjustments. More information is available at: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students

Assessment methods

The final exam consists of an oral discussion with the professor, based on the course materials and any selected texts from the recommended bibliography. Students may optionally submit a short paper, which will be discussed during the oral exam. The paper must be sent via email at least one week before the exam date.

Please note that the paper is considered an optional supplement to the exam preparation. The oral examination will still address the course materials and readings, at least in part.

Assessment criteria for the oral exam include:

– the level of disciplinary knowledge (40%);

– the ability to apply this knowledge critically (40%);

– the quality of expression, in particular terminological accuracy and argumentative clarity (20%).

If submitted, the written paper will count for half of the final grade, and will be evaluated according to the same criteria as the oral examination.

At least six exam sessions will be scheduled during the 2025/2026 academic year, in the following months: January, March, May, June, September, December.

Teaching tools

Various multimedia materials will be used during the course. All resources will be made available on the Virtuale platform. Students intending to take the exam must register on the platform in order to access these materials, which are considered an integral part of the course syllabus.

Office hours

See the website of Pierluigi Basso