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Resemblances in Culture and Nature: Theoretical and Semiotic Perspectives 8.-9. November 2008. Tartu, Estonia Resemblances and similarities are often overlooked in research as they are considered to be semiotic primitives. They stand behind various important phenomena in nature and culture, such as species recognition, mimicry and camouflage, convergent evolution, figurative art, imitative magic and theatre performances. All these examples are at the same time instances of communication, and that raises the general question about the place of resemblance in communication and representation. In semiotics, communicative resemblance is expressed in Charles S. Peirce’s concepts of iconic signs and iconicity. In cultural theory, mimesis is used in explanation of the various occasions of resemblances. In biology, homology and analogy, and their relations describe similar phenomena. It seems that communication by resemblance has important role in the peripheries of semiotic systems, where symbol-based semiotic processes are not so dominant. As examples of this, mimetic strategies in post-colonial cultures (H. K. Bhabha), language plays of children (W. Benjamin) and onomatopoeias in nature writing and folklore can be brought out. In representation, mimetism can also be combined in different ways with symbolic meanings. Communication by resemblance seems to be more effective in crossing semiotic borders between different cultures, discourses and species, as it is apparent for instance in interspecific mimicry and many forms of communication in symbiotic relations. As theoretical concepts, resemblance and its relatives seem to be profitable to the development of zoo- and biosemiotics. Likeness in the form of empathy can also have crucial ethical implications accentuating the relevance of the concept to ecosemiotics and nature philosophy. Program Contacts |
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