Semiotics according to Umberto Eco: Signs, meaning and culture

With his theory of semiotics, Umberto Eco has shown how signs operate in cultural systems and how they contribute to shaping perception and ideology. His approaches are indispensable for understanding the mechanisms behind media, art, literature and popular cultural phenomena that shape our society.

From Prof. Dr. Patrick PetersProfessor for PR, communication and digital media and Vice-Rector for Research and Teaching Material Development at the Allensbach University

Semiotics, the science of signs and their meaning, is of central importance for communication and cultural studies, as it examines the foundations of all sign processes and their cultural embedding. It offers tools for analyzing how meanings are created, conveyed and understood, and makes it clear that communication goes far beyond the purely linguistic.

Semiotics gained a comprehensive, interdisciplinary depth through the work of Umberto Eco. Eco understood signs not as isolated entities, but as components of cultural systems that always interact with historical, social and ideological contexts. His theory of semiotics extends classical approaches by focusing on the open character of meaning and the active role of the interpreter.

Semiotics as a dynamic process

At the heart of Eco's semiotic thinking is the idea of semiosis, which is described as an infinite process of attributing meaning. Each sign refers to another, which in turn is interpreted, creating an unending chain of meanings. This dynamic view distinguishes Eco's approach from older theories such as that of Ferdinand de Saussure, who defined signs as static connections between signifier (expression) and signified (content). For Eco, however, semiosis is not arbitrary. He introduces the concept of the encyclopaedia, an open, dynamic system of knowledge that encompasses the cultural, historical and social contexts of a sign. The encyclopaedia ensures that signs cannot be interpreted in isolation from the collective knowledge of a society, but always access a shared reservoir of meanings.

Open and closed texts

Eco's distinction between open and closed texts is one of the central contributions of his semiotics. Open texts, as they often occur in art or literature, require active participation by the reader. They invite diverse interpretations without prescribing a single correct reading. One example is his novel The name of the rosein which signs and symbols form a dense network of meanings that challenge the reader to draw their own conclusions. Closed texts, on the other hand, such as technical manuals or advertising, try to control the reading more strongly. They minimize the scope for interpretation in order to clearly convey a specific message. Eco shows that both forms of texts are based on different cultural and communicative needs, but use the same semiotic mechanisms.

Denotation, connotation and ideological power

Another central concept in Eco's theory is the differentiation between denotation (literal meaning) and connotation (associative meaning). While the denotation of a sign is relatively stable, the connotation varies greatly depending on the cultural context. For example, a simple symbol such as a dove is interpreted differently in different cultures: as a symbol of peace, a religious metaphor or simply as an animal. Eco emphasizes that connotations are not neutral, but often ideological. Signs help to privilege certain meanings and exclude others. This "ideological power" of signs is a key to analyzing modern media, advertising and political narratives. Eco was one of the first to show how popular culture can be analyzed semiotically, for example in comics, films or television series.

 Semiotics in practice: literature, art and media

Umberto Eco's semiotic approaches are widely used in the analysis of literature, art and modern media. In his work The open work of art he explains how works of art are open to different readings and develop a dynamic meaning through the interaction between author, work and reader. He sees this openness as essential to the aesthetic experience. The strength of his theory is also evident in popular culture. Eco analyzed the structure of James Bond novels, for example, to show how repetitive narrative patterns establish themselves as semiotic codes. He also examined mass media and their role in shaping ideological messages, making it clear that the interpretation of signs always depends on the cultural context.

Conclusion: Semiotics as the key to cultural analysis

Despite its scope, Eco's theory has not been free from criticism. Some accuse him of his concept of the encyclopaedia expanding the possibilities of interpretation too much, thereby potentially legitimizing any reading. Others criticize the complexity of his approach, which makes it difficult to clearly distinguish between different interpretations. Eco himself countered such objections with his discussion of the Limits of interpretationin which he pointed out that readings can be diverse, but not arbitrary.

Umberto Eco has not only further developed semiotics as a theoretical concept, but has also turned it into a practical tool for analyzing signs in literature, art and popular culture. His emphasis on the cultural and ideological contexts of signs makes his theory particularly relevant at a time when digital media is increasingly shaping communication. Eco's semiotics shows that behind every sign lies an extensive structure of meanings and power structures that need to be decoded for the successful management of communication and a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of communication and culture.

Bibliography

• Eco, U. (1977). A theory of semiotics. Munich: Wilhelm Fink.
• Eco, U. (1989). The open work of art. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.
• Eco, U. (1987). Lector in fabula: The collaboration of interpretation in narrative texts. Munich: Wilhelm Fink.
• Eco, U. (1992). The limits of interpretation. Munich: C. H. Beck.