In 1999, the journal Semiotica (ISSN 0037-1998) published the article “Towards biosemiotics with Yuri Lotman”, by Kalevi Kull. The author investigates Y. Lotman’s views on the relations between semiotics and biology, highlighting that Lotman raised a series of significant questions and introduced new concepts (such as the semiosphere, the sphere of behaviour, the relation between symmetry and asymmetry, dialogue and the independence of individuals, hypotheses on the creation of new texts, among others). These elements form a solid foundation and even an appropriate framework to guide future analyses of biosemiotic problems.
The article “Towards biosemiotics with Yuri Lotman” offers a comprehensive analysis of the intersection between biosemiotics and semiotics, addressing the emerging view that semiosis begins where life begins. The author stresses that this view is supported by American and European semioticians alike, as well as by biosemioticians themselves. He also shows how some renowned semioticians, such as Charles Morris, Karl Bühler and Roman Jakobson, addressed biological questions in their work, contributing to this convergence of fields.
The text demonstrates a deep understanding of contemporary debates on the relation between semiosis and biology, citing several relevant works and authors, including Terrence Deacon, Jakob von Uexküll, Jesper Hoffmeyer and Thomas Sebeok, to illustrate how biosemiotics is emerging as a valuable interdisciplinary field. The author points out how different perspectives, such as Peirce’s “pansemiotism” and the notions of “physiosemiosis”, have influenced this convergence between biology and semiosis.
The historical approach adopted, which identifies notable figures in the history of semiotics and their connections with biology, offers a unique view of how the interaction between these fields developed. The discussion of Henri F. de Saussure, father of Ferdinand de Saussure, and his possible influence on his son’s work is particularly intriguing. However, the author could have explored this relationship in greater depth, examining how the father’s ideas may have been passed on to the son.
In addition, the references to many works and authors throughout the article can feel somewhat scattered at times. A deeper analysis of how each of these authors contributed to the intersection between biosemiotics and semiosis would have further enriched the text, without detracting from the overall merit of the study. It would also have been interesting to examine some of the criticisms or controversies surrounding this convergence, given that it is an emerging field facing some resistance; this would have provided a broader view of the debates around biosemiotics as a field of knowledge.
Overall, the article offers an insightful and well-grounded view of the growing relationship between semiosis and biology. It makes a well-argued case for the relevance of this intersection through historical and contemporary examples, giving readers a deeper understanding of the implications of this convergence.
The text is available at: http://zbi.ee/~kalevi/semi.1999.127.115.pdf
Kull, Kalevi (1999). Towards biosemiotics with Yuri Lotman. Semiotica 127 (1-4):115-132. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/semi.1999.127.1-4.115
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