Could you explain, in words of less than 4 syllabi, the difference between semiotics and general semantics?

Repugnant is just about the best term for Foucault. Until just now I had forgotten about de Man. It is certainly true that none of these roosters were semioticians. None of them had the intellect, discipline, or true seriousness to get much into semiotics.

I tend to like a semiotics-based approach to older literature. Dante read that way can be really interesting, and can yield more facets of the work, which are not as readily apparent with other critical methods. And of course James Joyce is really exciting to read that way (or any other way, when it comes down to it).

Dear Erik,

Hit the nail on the head. Even more distasteful is Paul de Man, and utterly personally repugnant is Michel Foucault. But then, these were not really semioticians--they are/were first and foremost postmodern deconstructionists. A semiotician is a different breed of thing--and while I find the theories good for film and some literature--and incredibly amusing when handled deftly (Eco or Perez-Reverte)many times they seem misapplied to interpretation of older forms. But this is a methodological disagreement, not a disagreement with theory which can be helpful.

Derrida--isn't that where we get the word "deride" from? Or perhaps it's just modified French for humorless.

shalom,

Steven

Steven,

By this:

"I find the extremists distasteful, illogical, and very probably insane."

I assume you are including Derrida, mais non? If you ever want to have some grim "fun," sit down with a book of his and diagram the sentences. Subject him to a close reading. See if he makes even the smallest shred of sense.

Then, if you have access to a trendy academic, ask him what he gets from Derrida. See if he can explain it without buzzwords.

Cry. Or laugh. Or both.

Dear Erik,

Bourgeouis and protohippie--a most interesting combination. And in fact, I largely agree with your point finding Thoreau thoreauly unreadable, in large part.

Metablogging comes from my interest in metacognition which precedes by several decades the discipline of semiotics. (Although I am not completely opposed to semiotics--I like Eco and some of his ilk very, very much--I find the extremists distasteful, illogical, and very probably insane.

Thanks for the kind words.

shalom,

Steven