Definition of Semiotics Theoretical Description
Saussure‟s opinion affects some thoughts such as Derrida, Barthes and Baudrillard.
According to Peirce as the master of the philosophy, human reasoning is always done through sign. It means human beings only can think through
the sign. In his thought, logic is same with semiotics and semiotics can be applied to all types of sign. In a further development, the word Semiotics is
more popular than Semiology. Semiotics according to Pierce the another name of logic refers to formal doctrine of signs.
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Pierce saw there are three important things in semiotics which can be explained through sign, object, and interpretant. He wrote that sign is
something that stands for someone or something which reflects a certain capacity or interest.
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Aart Van Zoest as quoted by Sudjiman said, Semiotics is the study of sign and everything connected with it; how the functioning, its relationship
with other signs, and the recipient, and the recipient by those who use it. Semiotics can be applied in any field where the sign is used and includes both
a representation and interpretation, a denotantum and interpretant.
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Semiotics is the study of sign. The signs convey information communicatively. It can replace something else which you can think or
imagine. This branch of science originally developed in the field of language,
17
Kris Budiman, Semiotika Visual, Yogyakarta: Penerbit Buku Baik, 2004, p. 3.
18
Arthur Asa Berger, Media Analysis Technique: Second Edition, Yogyakarta: Penerbitan Universitas Atma Jaya, 2000, p. 4.
19
Umberto Eco, “Sebuah Pengantar Menuju Logika Kebudayaan” in Panuti Sudjiman and Aart van Zoest, Serba-serbi Semiotika, Jakarta: PT. Gramedia Pustaka
Utama, 1992, p. 38.
then developed in the field of art and visual communication design. Meanwhile, Charles Sanders Pierce, insists that we can only think with the
medium sign. Human can only communicate through the sign. Sign of human life could be a sign of movement or gesture. A wave
hand that could mean calling or nod of the head can be translated to agree something. Sign of sounds, such as whistles, trumpets, drums, human voices,
ringing phones. Sign of text, including letters and number. It could also a sign in the traffic lamp, and many more.
From some opinions above, semiotics is the science of detecting the truth of sign and the essence of social conventions which previously formed
from its sign that makes it has a certain meaning for the certain capacity or interest.