Journal: Degrés. Revue de Synthèse à Orientation Sémiologique 201-202
Degrés. Revue de Synthèse à Orientation Sémiologique
n.201-202 – Penser le non-humain
The aim of this issue is to reflect on the content of an approach provisionally, even improperly, designated by the negative (“non-human”). Some suggest defining the term as “other-than-human”. The choice of this term makes sense for several reasons. It’s not just a matter of designating, but of questioning the possible characteristics of a new paradigm under construction. At the same time, we need to shed light on the modes of apprehension and methodology involved.
These include artificial intelligence and deepfakes, but machine production is not the only object that is reconfiguring reference spaces. Attention to the “making sense” of the animal and plant worlds is also leading to the development of new paradigms. Biosemiotics, zoosemiotics, the sociology of non-human and ecosemiotics all focus on the signifying relationships between organisms and their environment. The result is an increased focus on non-verbal dimensions, and on objects such as syncretic languages, practices, the natural world and the sensitive origins of meaning. In short, it’s a return to the origins of semiotics, linked to the study of the living, body signs and non-verbal communication.
