B8835 - History of Semiotics (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student knows the history of semiotics, according to historical and semiotic methods, and the latest critical orientations.

Course contents

The course first examines Umberto Eco’s intellectual formation as a historian of medieval thought, drawing primarily on his “Intellectual Autobiography” (2015), as well as the general features of his semiotic theory. It then focuses on his early proposals for a history of semiotics (1979 and 1987), which address questions concerning its objects, methods, and aims. Finally, the course explores Umberto Eco's specific contribution to the study of individual thinkers (Porphyry, Augustine, Roger Bacon), key themes (the classification of signs and the origin of language), and particular historical periods (Late Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Early Modern period), as presented in a series of articles later collected in volumes published between the early 1980s and the first decade of the twenty-first century.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities

It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Readings/Bibliography

1. U. Eco, “Proposals for a History of Semiotics”, in Semiotics Unfolding. Proceedings of the Second Congress of the International Association for Semiotic Studies, Vienna, July 1979, ed. T. Borbé, Volume I, Theory and History of Semiotics, Berlin: Mouton, 1983, 75-89.
2. U. Eco, “History and Historiography of Semiotics”, in Semiotik/Semiotics. Ein Handbuch zu den zeichentheoretischen Grundlagen von Natur un Kultus/ A Handbook of the Sign-Theoretic Foundations of Nature and Culture, eds. R. Posner, K. RObering & T.A. Sebeok, Berlin-New York: De Gruyter, 1997, 730-746 (written about 1987).
3. U. Eco, Semiotics and the Philosophy of Language, London: Macmillan 1984, chap. 1-2.
4. U. Eco, R. Lambertini, C. Marmo & A. Tabarroni, “On Animal Language in the Medieval Classification of Signs”, VS. Quaderni di Studi Semiotici (1984), 1-38 (also in On the Medieval Theory of Signs, eds. U. Eco & C. marmo, Amsterdam: Benjamins, 1989, 3-41).
5. U. Eco, The Limits of the Interpretation, Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana UP, 1990, chap. 1 (“Two Models of Interperetation”).
6. U. Eco, The Search for a Perfect Language, Oxford (UK)-Cambridge (USA): Blackwell, 1995, chap. 5 (“The Monogenetic Hypothesis and the Mother Tongues”).
7. U. Eco, From the Tree to the Labyrinth, Cambridge (USA)-London (UK): Harvard UP, 2014, chap. 1 (“From the Tree to the Labyrinth”) and 4 (“The Dog That Barked (and Other Zoosemiotic Archaeologies)”) .
8. U. Eco, “Intellectual autobiography”, in The Philosophy of Umberto Eco, eds. S. G. Beardsworth & R.E. Auxier, Chicago (ILL): Open Court, 2017, 3-65.

Teaching methods

The teaching of the course will consist of lectures on the topics detailed in the timetable. The texts commented upon during these lectures will be available from the beginning of the course, so they can be read by attending students and discussed during lectures, from a historical, critical and theoretical point of view. Some of the texts will be made available in digital format during the course.

Assessment methods

The programme is the same for both attending and non-attending students.

The final exam will consist of an oral exam on the content of the course or in the elaboration of a 15 pages (4500/5000 words) paper drawn up on the basis of one or more texts included in the bibliography or examined in class, or on other texts. The topic of the essay must be agreed upon with the teacher at least two weeks before the date of discussion. Attending students will have the opportunity to present and discuss in class the theme of their essays; in this case, the topic must be agreed upon with the teacher at least two weeks before the presentation in class.

The possession by the student of historical, semiotic and philosophical knowledge must be accompanied by critical thinking on the use of bibliographic tools and secondary literature, and by the possession of good command of written and oral language.

Exam registration is done online from the site AlmaEsami.

AI can be a useful tool to support independent study by providing deeper insights, summaries, and self-assessment pathways. With regard to the assessment of learning, limited, declared, and non-substantive use of AI is permitted for support activities (such as summarization and rephrasing). Substantive use of AI to complete any part of the assessment is not permitted and will be sanctioned.

The vote will be assigned taking into account the following evaluation levels:

30 cum laude: excellent performance showing soundness of knowledge, rich discursive articulation, appropriate expression, interest of critical contribution;

30: Excellent performance, complete, and appropriate knowledge, well-articulated and appropriately expressed, with interesting critical contributions;

29-27: Good performance, more than satisfactory knowledge, correct expression.

26-24: Standard performance, essential knowledge, but not comprehensive and / or not always correctly expressed;

23-21: Sufficient performance, general but superficial knowledge; often inappropriate expression and/or confused articulation of speech;

20-18: Poor performance, sufficient expression and articulation of speech with significant gaps;

<18: Insufficient performance, knowledge absent or very incomplete, lack of orientation in the discipline, poor and seriously flawed expression.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities

It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

As a complement of the program and the indicated bibliography, many texts presented and discussed during the course will be made available to the students in digital format.

Links to further information

https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/costantino.marmo/didattica

Office hours

See the website of Costantino Marmo