SEM 1000Y            General Semiotics: from Saussure to Peirce and Eco.

The course will deal with two ‘schools’ in semiotic theory and method, as they developed around the works of Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Peirce. During the course the students will confront the historical development of the main theories of signification and representation, from ancient Greece to present day--including theories by Saussure and Peirce of course, but also those by Hjelmslev, Jakobson, Barthes, Morris, Lotman, Greimas, and last but not least Eco and Sebeok. The main focus of this part of the course will be placed on the theories of Saussure and Peirce, since they form the backbone of any modern scientific approach to the sign. The students will also be able to apply semiotic theory to language and literature, culture and media studies, and proceed to a diversified and composite textual analysis. The last part of the course will thus present semiotics as a methodological tool that can be applied to conduct research in numerous and divers disciplines.