Brain, Mind and the Signifying Body: An Ecosocial Semiotic TheoryBrain, Mind and the Signifying Body is an exploration of a multimodal theory of cognitive science. Using linguistic theories first developed by Saussure and more latterly by M. A. K. Halliday, Paul Thibault analyses how social and biological systems interact to produce meaning. This fascinating study will be of interest to undergraduates and academics researching cognitive linguistics and advanced semiotics. The book engages with the current dialogue between the human and life sciences to ask questions about the relationship between the physical, biological aspects of a human being, and the sociocultural framework in which a human being exists. Paul J. Thibault argues that we need to understand both the semiotic, discursive nature of meaning making, and the physical context in which this activity takes place. The two are inseparable, and hence the only way we can understand our subjective experience of our environment and our perceptions of our inner states of mind is by giving equal weight to both frameworks. This 'ecosocial semiotic' theory engages with linguistics, semiotics, activity theory, biology and psychology. In so doing, the book produces a new way of looking at how a human being makes sense of his or her environment, but also how this environment shapes such meanings. |
Contents
Introduction | 3 |
Topological and Typological Modes of Semioticmaterial | 23 |
9 | 39 |
Copyright | |
31 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Brain, Mind and the Signifying Body: An Ecosocial Semiotic Theory Paul Thibault Limited preview - 2004 |
Brain, Mind and the Signifying Body: An Ecosocial Semiotic Theory Paul Thibault Limited preview - 2004 |
Brain, Mind and the Signifying Body: An Ecosocial Semiotic Theory Paul J. Thibault Limited preview - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
action articulation articulatory attractor biological bodily body body-brain complex brain central nervous system clause conceptual conscious experience constitute constraints construed content stratum contextual cross-coupling Damasio deixis dialogic discourse dissipative structures dyad dynamics ecosocial environment ecosocial semiotic ecosocial system emergence entrained environmental event example experiential expression and content expression plane expression stratum extended consciousness functions given graphology Halliday here-now hierarchy higher-scalar iconic indexical individual inner speech integrated interaction internal interpersonal Lemke level L-1 levels of organization lexicogrammatical linguistic lower-scalar meaning meaning-making activity mediated metafunctional microfunctions mirror neurons morpheme motor movement neurons object patterns perceptual perspective phenomena of experience phonetic phonological physical-material principles processes prosodies protolanguage realized relations Salthe scalar levels self-organizing semantic semiosis semiotic modalities semiotic system sensori-motor activity social meaning-making social semiotic space-time scales specific speech sounds stimulus information structures supersystem supervenient system of interpretance temporal Thibault timescale topological topological-continuous trajectory vocal vocal-tract activity