A Theory of Semiotics Quotes

“Semiotics is in principle the discipline studying everything which can be used in order to lie. If something cannot be used to tell a lie, conversely it cannot be used to tell the truth: it cannot in fact be used "to tell" at all.”
― Umberto Eco, A Theory of Semiotics

“C’è una nota storiella che narra come due cani si incontrino a Mosca; l’uno è grasso e ben pasciuto, l’altro magro e affamato. Il cane affamato domanda all’altro: “come fai a trovare da mangiare?” e l’altro, con abilità zoosemiotica, risponde: “facilissimo. Ogni mattina a mezzogiorno vado all’Istituto Pavlov e mi metto a sbavare; ed ecco che a quel punto arriva uno scienziato condizionato che suona un campanello e mi porta un piatto di zuppa”.”
― Umberto Eco, Trattato di semiotica generale

“There is a sign every time a human group decides to use and to recognize something as the vehicle of something else.”
― Umberto Eco, A Theory of Semiotics

“semiotics studies all cultural processes as processes of communication.”
― Umberto Eco, A Theory of Semiotics

“Thus semiotics is in principle the discipline studying everything which can be used in order to lie.”
― Umberto Eco, A Theory of Semiotics

“Semiotics is concerned with everything that can be taken as a sign.”
― Umberto Eco, A Theory of Semiotics

“To re-write in another language means to re-think:”
― Umberto Eco, A Theory of Semiotics