Signs in the Dust : A Theory of Natural Culture and Cultural Nature

Modern thought is characterised, according to Bruno Latour, by a dichotomy of meaningful culture and unmeaning nature. __Signs in the Dust__ uses medieval semiotics to develop a new theory of nature and culture that resists this familiar picture of things. Through readings of Thomas Aquinas, Nicholas of Cusa, and John Poinsot (John of St Thomas), it offers a semiotic analysis of human culture in both its anthropological breadth as an enterprise of creaturely sign-making and its theological height as a finite participation in the Trinity, which can be understood as an absolute ‘cultural nature’. __Signs__ then extends this account of human culture backwards into the natural depth of biological and physical nature. It puts the biosemiotics of its medieval sources, along with Félix Ravaisson’s philosophy of habit, into dialogue with the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis in contemporary biology, to show that a cultural dimension is present through the whole order of nature and the whole of natural history. It also retrieves Aquinas’ doctrine of intentions in the medium to show how signification can be attributed in a diminished way to even inanimate nature. The phenomena of human culture are reconceived then not as breaks with a meaningless nature but instead as heightenings and deepenings of natural movements of meaning that long precede and far exceed us. Against the modern divorce of nature and culture, then, the argument of __Signs in the Dust__ is that culture is natural and nature is cultural, through and through. Cover......Page 1 Signs in the Dust......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Dedication......Page 6 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 12 List of Abbreviations......Page 14 Introduction: Dust and Signs......Page 18 Nature and Culture......Page 19 The Argument......Page 20 A Comprehensive but not Exhaustive Theory......Page 26 Part I......Page 28 1. Sign: Culture as Signification in John Poinsot......Page 30 The Scope of Signs......Page 31 The Metaphysics of Signs......Page 35 The Cognition of Signs......Page 40 The Naturalising of Signs......Page 47 Conclusion: The Breadth of Culture......Page 54 2. Word: Culture in the Trinity in Thomas Aquinas......Page 56 Incorporeal Signs......Page 57 Son as Sign......Page 62 Trinitarian Relations as Sign Relations......Page 69 A Semiotic Trinity......Page 74 Conclusion: The Trinity as Cultural Nature......Page 77 3. Art: Culture as Participation in Nicholas of Cusa......Page 80 Participatory Semiosis......Page 81 Participatory Making......Page 88 Nature and Art......Page 92 Conclusion: The Breadth and Height of Culture......Page 95 Part II......Page 100 4. Biosemiosis: The Biological Depth of Culture......Page 102 Sensation and Perception......Page 103 Communication......Page 113 The Biosemiotic Continuity of Nature and Culture......Page 121 Conclusion: The Meanings of Life......Page 125 5. Habit: The Embodiment of Culture in Félix Ravaisson......Page 127 Aristotle’s Second Nature......Page 128 The Continuum of Habit......Page 130 Second-​Naturing Nature......Page 135 Second Nature of Sign and Body......Page 139 Conclusion: Culture Is Natural and Nature Is Cultural......Page 144 6. Evolution: The Art of Nature......Page 146 The Inheritance of Habit......Page 148 The Extended Evolutionary Synthesis......Page 149 Evolution as Art......Page 161 Conclusion: A Cusan Biology......Page 169 7. Pattern: The Meanings of Matter......Page 171 Intentions in the Medium......Page 172 Signs in the Medium......Page 176 Is Physiosemiosis Really Semiosis?......Page 179 Participatory Physiosemiosis......Page 182 Being as Sign......Page 185 Conclusion: Meaningful Matter......Page 189 8. Dust: The Perfections of Matter......Page 191 Detour Through the Real......Page 192 Generation......Page 202 Conclusion: The Gift of Matter......Page 208 Conclusion: Natural Culture, Cultural Nature......Page 210 Not Soft Dualism......Page 211 Signs in the Dust......Page 219 Bibliography......Page 226 Index......Page 264 Modern Thought Is Characterized By A Dichotomy Of Meaningful Culture And Unmeaning Nature. Signs In The Dust Uses Medieval Semiotics To Develop A New Theory Of Nature And Culture That Resists This Familiar Picture Of Things. Through Readings Of Thomas Aquinas, Nicholas Of Cusa, And John Poinsot (john Of St. Thomas), It Offers A Semiotic Analysis Of Human Culture In Both Its Anthropological Breadth As An Enterprise Of Creaturely Sign-making, And Its Theological Height As A Finite Participation In The Trinity, Which Can Be Understood As An Absolute 'cultural Nature'. Signs In The Dust Then Extends This Account Of Human Culture Backwards Into The Natural Depth Of Biological And Physical Nature. It Puts The Biosemiotics Of Its Medieval Sources, Along With Félix Ravaisson's Philosophy Of Habit, Into Dialogue With The Extended Evolutionary Synthesis That Is Emerging In Contemporary Biology, To Show How All Living Things Participate In Semiosis, So That That A Cultural Dimension Is Present Through The Whole Order Of Nature And The Whole Of Natural History. It Also Retrieves Aquinas' Doctrine Of Intentions In The Medium To Show How Signification Can Be Attributed In A Diminished Way To Even Inanimate Nature, With The Ontological Implication That Being As Such Should Be Reconceived In Semiotic Terms. The Phenomena Of Human Culture Are Therefore To Be Understood Not As Breaks With A Meaningless Nature, But Instead As Heightenings And Deepenings Of Natural Movements Of Meaning That Long Precede And Far Exceed Us. Against The Modern Divorce Of Nature And Culture, Signs In The Dust Argues That Culture Is Natural And Nature Is Cultural, Through And Through. Modern thought is characterized by a dichotomy of meaningful culture and unmeaning nature. Signs in the Dust u ses medieval semiotics to develop a new theory of nature and culture that resists this familiar picture of things. Through readings of Thomas Aquinas, Nicholas of Cusa, and John Poinsot (John of St. Thomas), it offers a semiotic analysis of human culture in both its anthropological breadth as an enterprise of creaturely sign-making, and its theological height as a finite participation in the Trinity, which can be understood as an absolute 'cultural nature'. Signs in the Dust then extends this account of human culture backwards into the natural depth of biological and physical nature. It puts the biosemiotics of its medieval sources, along with Flix Ravaisson's philosophy of habit, into dialogue with the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis that is emerging in contemporary biology, to show how all living things participate in semiosis, so that that a cultural dimension is present through the whole order of nature and the whole of natural history. It also retrieves Aquinas' doctrine of intentions in the medium to show how signification can be attributed in a diminished way to even inanimate nature, with the ontological implication that being as such should be reconceived in semiotic terms. The phenomena of human culture are therefore to be understood not as breaks with a meaningless nature, but instead as heightenings and deepenings of natural movements of meaning that long precede and far exceed us. Against the modern divorce of nature and culture, Signs in the Dust argues that culture is natural and nature is cultural, through and through. Modern thought is characterized by a dichotomy of meaningful culture and unmeaning nature. Signs in the Dust uses medieval semiotics to develop a new theory of nature and culture that resists this familiar picture of things. Through readings of Thomas Aquinas, Nicholas of Cusa, and John Poinsot (John of St. Thomas), it offers a semiotic analysis of human culture in both its anthropological breadth as an enterprise of creaturely sign-making, and its theological height as a finite participation in the Trinity, which can be understood as an absolute 'cultural nature'. Signs in the Dust then extends this account of human culture backwards into the natural depth of biological and physical nature. It puts the biosemiotics of its medieval sources, along with Felix0Ravaisson's philosophy of habit, into dialogue with the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis that is emerging in contemporary biology, to show how all living things participate in semiosis, so that that a cultural dimension is present through the whole order of nature and the whole of natural history. It also retrieves Aquinas' doctrine of intentions in the medium to show how signification can be attributed in a diminished way to even inanimate nature, with the ontological implication that being as0such should be reconceived in semiotic terms. The phenomena of human culture are therefore to be understood not as breaks with a meaningless nature, but instead as heightenings and deepenings of natural movements of meaning that long precede and far exceed us. Against the modern divorce of nature and culture, Signs in the Dust argues that culture is natural and nature is cultural, through and through "Modern thought is characterised, according to Bruno Latour, by a dichotomy of meaningful culture and unmeaning nature. Signs in the Dust uses medieval semiotics to develop a new theory of nature and culture that resists this familiar picture of things. Through readings of Thomas Aquinas, Nicholas of Cusa, and John Poinsot (John of St Thomas), it offers a semiotic analysis of human culture in both its anthropological breadth as an enterprise of creaturely sign-making and its theological height as a finite participation in the Trinity, which can be understood as an absolute ‘cultural nature’. Signs then extends this account of human culture backwards into the natural depth of biological and physical nature. It puts the biosemiotics of its medieval sources, along with Félix Ravaisson’s philosophy of habit, into dialogue with the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis in contemporary biology, to show that a cultural dimension is present through the whole order of nature and the whole of natural history. It also retrieves Aquinas’ doctrine of intentions in the medium to show how signification can be attributed in a diminished way to even inanimate nature. The phenomena of human culture are reconceived then not as breaks with a meaningless nature but instead as heightenings and deepenings of natural movements of meaning that long precede and far exceed us. Against the modern divorce of nature and culture, then, the argument of Signs in the Dust is that culture is natural and nature is cultural, through and through" -- University Press Scholarship Online