The appeal of semiotics lies in its apparent ability to establish a common framework for all disciplines, a framework rooted in the understanding of the sign as the universal means of communication. Introducing Semiotic provides a synoptic view of semiotic development, covering for the first time all the previous epochs of Western philosophy, from the pre-Socratics to the present. In particular, the book bridges the gap from St. Augustine (5th c.) to John Locke (17th c.). It delineates the foundations of contemporary semiotics and concretely reveals just how integral and fundamental the semiotic point of view really is to Western culture. Because of its clarity of exposition and careful use of primary sources, Introducing Semiotic will be an essential textbook for all courses in semiotics.

This comprehensive survey of semiotics examines its development from pre-Socratic philosophy to Peirce's Sign Theory and beyond.
In Introducing Semiotics, renowned philosopher and semiotician John Deely provides a conceptual overview of the field, covering its development across centuries of Western philosophical thought. It delineates the foundations of contemporary semiotics and concretely reveals just how integral and fundamental the semiotic point of view really is to Western culture. In particular, the book bridges the gap from St. Augustine in the fifth century to John Locke in the seventeenth.
The appeal of semiotics lies in its apparent ability to establish a common framework for all disciplines, a framework rooted in the understanding of the sign as the universal means of communication. With its clarity of exposition and careful use of primary sources, Introducing Semiotics is an essential text for newcomers to the subject and an ideal textbook for semiotics courses.