Introduction
Introduction

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this monograph is to describe the communicative algorithms of the intellect, and their textual equivalents, as sign-creating universals. Although the author was indeed inspired by one specific exotic section in the lectures of Juri Lotman, is appropriate to begin with the admission that the Tartu professor had a constant interest in universal signifying processes throughout his creative career. In universality (resp. “stability”), he has seen one of the fundamental characteristics of culture: Culture represents the most complete mechanism — created by humanity — from amongst those that change entropy into information. It is a mechanism that must preserve and transmit information, but at the same time must continue to increase its volume. Becoming continually more complicated internally, and self-development, are its laws. This is why culture must simultaneously signal its own stability as well as dynamism — it must be, and at the same time, must not be a structure. Only in such conditions can it fulfill all the tasks that the collective has determined for it. (Lotman 1970h: 104)

• Details
• Contents