Bildung and Humanity:Semiotico-theoretical

considerations

Bildung seminar, Oulu 25.-27.5.2009Eetu Pikkarainen

Semiotics

• Study of meaningful sign structures = How meaning effects are created

• Sign structures can be produced intentionally for to create certain meaning effects: messages in communication;or they can be side products of other action or just any parts of environment.

Meanings

• Meaning effect = influence to subject’s action

1. Objective “meanings” (causal effect)

2. Subjective meanings: how subject itself affects

its own action because of the object/event 3. Intersubjective meanings: a shared or

common way to experience meaning effects

Action

• Interaction between subject and its environment

• Contains subject’s deeds = events caused by subject (on some object)

• Requires that subject has competencies (cf. intentionality etc.)

• Semiotic competence = ability to experience meanings (-> direct ones action in environment)

Competence

• An unordinary (not empirical) property which we must presuppose to a subject when we perceive (and presume) it doing a deed (in action)

(cf. disposition)

Action circle(s)

Plan, intention Deed

PerceptionEvaluation

Internal processes: competences

Internal action

External action

External processes: Environment,

objects

Bildung

• Bildung = becoming a human being, or part of humanity

• Extending from bio- and zoosemiotic level to anthroposemiotic level

• What is humanity?

• How does this becoming happen?

Learning• Learning = changing of competences (=

internal process)

• How competences can change? – spontaneously (random) – by time (biology) = mature, develop – in action = learning

• Learning = changing of subjects competences as a (side) effect of its own action (including its internal action)

Humanity 1

• Human being = social, rational and free

• The internal action -> self-consciousness; independence from external.

• Special human freedom and rationality is based on intersubjective meanings.

Humanity 2

• Bildung : not only changing just competencies of some individual subjects, but changing the whole human community. (Intersubjective meanings!)

• Humanity itself is “sich bildende(?)”, self transcending

Inconclusion

• Bildung = intransitive process (not action)