Article

Name: Semiotics vs semiology: about completeness of the theory of signs

Authors: Yu. V. Shatin

Institute of of Philology, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences

Abstract: This article analyzes the main difference of American semiotics of Ch. Peirce and European semiology of F. de Saussure. The author considers that American semiotics includes wider comprehension of sign as compared with European semiology. Saussure asserts that the nature of the association between the signifier and signified was arbitrary, i. e., not based on inherent resemblance. American semiotics considers that may be various ways of classifying signs according to their syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic uses. Pierce divides signs in relation to their obects into three types: icons, indexes, and symbols. An icon is defined assign which represents an object mainly by similarity to that object; and index as sign which represents its object by its existential relation to the object, and symbol as sign which signifies its object by law or convention. This difference ascends to the works of Pionsot (Tractatus de Sings, 1632) and of Locke (On Essay Considering Human, 1671). If Poinsot reminds Peirce then Locke resembles Saussure. The author of this article considers that American semiotics is characterized by completeness and European semiology is aspired to strictness and exactness.

Keywords: semiotics, semiology, icon, index, symbol

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