Schools in Transition: Linking Past, Present, and Future in Educational Practice, 2017
School is one of the most focal institutions in modern society. It is largely through the institu... more School is one of the most focal institutions in modern society. It is largely through the institutionalized forms of education that modern society attempts to secure and maintain its social and economic well-being and its valuable cultural life forms. In addition to this, school is the essential institution through which the future of a society is defined. Thus, at least when understood traditionally as a pedagogical institution, the school stands at the center of historically and socially constructed cultural life forms and at the brink of an unknown future: the determination of that future characterizes the pedagogical task of the school. It naturally ensues then, that modern discourses of the school have always been intertwined with the critical question of how past, present and future can be linked in educational practices so that schools can foster (in ever better ways) the well-being of individuals, societies and humanity. The chapters in this volume, despite the variety of viewpoints, share this critical view. The purpose of the volume is not to offer definite answers; rather it is to stress that to understand the role and functions of school in contemporary society and to orientate its transition, a well-founded critical evaluation of prevailing pedagogical practices and policy trends is required. This evaluation is vital for the future of school and society.
Among the biggest challenges facing the contemporary human condition, and therefore also educatio... more Among the biggest challenges facing the contemporary human condition, and therefore also education, is responding to the climate crisis. One of the sources of the crisis is assumed to be absent-mindedness, presented by Leslie Dewart as a distortion of the development of human consciousness. Dewart’s poorly-known philosophical consciousness study is presented in this paper in broad outline. The problems in the study of consciousness, the most important of which are the qualitative representations—qualia—and the question of free will, are also briefly discussed. These problems are then examined transcendental analytically, with the question of what one must assume in order to allow the emergence of these phenomena. From the resulting conception of causal relationship, we proceed to the circular causality as a prerequisite for life, namely the homeostatic systems and negative feedback. An organization of action that is essential to animals and humans is presented, using William Powers’...
As a branch of theoretical semiotics that aims to contribute to the development of the theory of ... more As a branch of theoretical semiotics that aims to contribute to the development of the theory of both semiotics and education, edusemiotics must also problematize the most foundational semiotic conceptions of sign and semiosis. The biosemiotic notion that a sign relation is necessarily dependent on learning restricts semiotics to the biological sphere, to living beings. This fits well with education, which can be seen as transition from the zoosemiotic sphere to the anthroposemiotic sphere. However this radical discontinuity between living and non-living spheres makes it difficult to understand how signs and semiosis are viable at all and what their basic nature is. Ontologically we can imagine that sign relations must also be somehow based on the features of non-living beings. In this article I will analyze how a concept of a sign can be seen as a general model of interaction between any beings. This paper develops the conception of semiosis and signification with regard to the com...
In this article, my attempt is to describe how certain theoretical constructions of semiotics cou... more In this article, my attempt is to describe how certain theoretical constructions of semiotics could be applied in educational theoretical work. First I will introduce meaning as a basic concept of semiotics, thus also touching on concepts such as action, competence and causality. I will then be able to define learning as a change of competences, and will also shortly refer to the pedagogical concept of learning i.e. Bildung, which can be roughly defined as valuable human learning 1. I will then take up the problem of education as pedagogical direction and communication. Finally, I will conclude with some considerations on the famous Greimassian semiotic square.
Learning and adaptation are central problems to both edusemiotics, or semiotics of education, and... more Learning and adaptation are central problems to both edusemiotics, or semiotics of education, and biosemiotics. Bildung, as an especially human way or form of learning, and evolution as the main form of adaptation for many biologists after Darwin are often regarded as mutually exclusive concepts even though human beings are undeniably one biological species among others. In this article I will try to build a bridge between the biosemiotical, edusemiotical and Bildung-theoretical stances. Central to this discussion is biosemiotician Kalevi Kull and some of his recent publications where he considers adaptation, evolution and learning. The primary theoretical resource that I utilize here, in addition to the general Greimassian, edusemiotical and Bildung-theoretical starting points, is perceptual control theory (PCT) to which I compare the Uexküllian conception of functional circle.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1111 J 1469 5812 2009 00632 X, Jan 9, 2013
Wiley Online Library. Educational Philosophy and TheoryEarly View, Article first published online... more Wiley Online Library. Educational Philosophy and TheoryEarly View, Article first published online: 21 JUN 2010. ...
Schools in Transition: Linking Past, Present, and Future in Educational Practice, 2017
School is one of the most focal institutions in modern society. It is largely through the institu... more School is one of the most focal institutions in modern society. It is largely through the institutionalized forms of education that modern society attempts to secure and maintain its social and economic well-being and its valuable cultural life forms. In addition to this, school is the essential institution through which the future of a society is defined. Thus, at least when understood traditionally as a pedagogical institution, the school stands at the center of historically and socially constructed cultural life forms and at the brink of an unknown future: the determination of that future characterizes the pedagogical task of the school. It naturally ensues then, that modern discourses of the school have always been intertwined with the critical question of how past, present and future can be linked in educational practices so that schools can foster (in ever better ways) the well-being of individuals, societies and humanity. The chapters in this volume, despite the variety of viewpoints, share this critical view. The purpose of the volume is not to offer definite answers; rather it is to stress that to understand the role and functions of school in contemporary society and to orientate its transition, a well-founded critical evaluation of prevailing pedagogical practices and policy trends is required. This evaluation is vital for the future of school and society.
Among the biggest challenges facing the contemporary human condition, and therefore also educatio... more Among the biggest challenges facing the contemporary human condition, and therefore also education, is responding to the climate crisis. One of the sources of the crisis is assumed to be absent-mindedness, presented by Leslie Dewart as a distortion of the development of human consciousness. Dewart’s poorly-known philosophical consciousness study is presented in this paper in broad outline. The problems in the study of consciousness, the most important of which are the qualitative representations—qualia—and the question of free will, are also briefly discussed. These problems are then examined transcendental analytically, with the question of what one must assume in order to allow the emergence of these phenomena. From the resulting conception of causal relationship, we proceed to the circular causality as a prerequisite for life, namely the homeostatic systems and negative feedback. An organization of action that is essential to animals and humans is presented, using William Powers’...
As a branch of theoretical semiotics that aims to contribute to the development of the theory of ... more As a branch of theoretical semiotics that aims to contribute to the development of the theory of both semiotics and education, edusemiotics must also problematize the most foundational semiotic conceptions of sign and semiosis. The biosemiotic notion that a sign relation is necessarily dependent on learning restricts semiotics to the biological sphere, to living beings. This fits well with education, which can be seen as transition from the zoosemiotic sphere to the anthroposemiotic sphere. However this radical discontinuity between living and non-living spheres makes it difficult to understand how signs and semiosis are viable at all and what their basic nature is. Ontologically we can imagine that sign relations must also be somehow based on the features of non-living beings. In this article I will analyze how a concept of a sign can be seen as a general model of interaction between any beings. This paper develops the conception of semiosis and signification with regard to the com...
In this article, my attempt is to describe how certain theoretical constructions of semiotics cou... more In this article, my attempt is to describe how certain theoretical constructions of semiotics could be applied in educational theoretical work. First I will introduce meaning as a basic concept of semiotics, thus also touching on concepts such as action, competence and causality. I will then be able to define learning as a change of competences, and will also shortly refer to the pedagogical concept of learning i.e. Bildung, which can be roughly defined as valuable human learning 1. I will then take up the problem of education as pedagogical direction and communication. Finally, I will conclude with some considerations on the famous Greimassian semiotic square.
Learning and adaptation are central problems to both edusemiotics, or semiotics of education, and... more Learning and adaptation are central problems to both edusemiotics, or semiotics of education, and biosemiotics. Bildung, as an especially human way or form of learning, and evolution as the main form of adaptation for many biologists after Darwin are often regarded as mutually exclusive concepts even though human beings are undeniably one biological species among others. In this article I will try to build a bridge between the biosemiotical, edusemiotical and Bildung-theoretical stances. Central to this discussion is biosemiotician Kalevi Kull and some of his recent publications where he considers adaptation, evolution and learning. The primary theoretical resource that I utilize here, in addition to the general Greimassian, edusemiotical and Bildung-theoretical starting points, is perceptual control theory (PCT) to which I compare the Uexküllian conception of functional circle.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1111 J 1469 5812 2009 00632 X, Jan 9, 2013
Wiley Online Library. Educational Philosophy and TheoryEarly View, Article first published online... more Wiley Online Library. Educational Philosophy and TheoryEarly View, Article first published online: 21 JUN 2010. ...
This study is about the meaning of education and the concept of meaning. The main aim is to devel... more This study is about the meaning of education and the concept of meaning. The main aim is to develop a meta-theoretical object theory of education i.e. a theory about the research object of science of education, one which would be a valid reflection basis both for methodological and meta-theoretical questions of educational scientific research and for general pedagogical discussions. The development is based on the continental tradition of general pedagogy which acknowledges the pedagogical paradox by distinguishing between the concepts of educational influence and Bildung, and sees the need to unite them in the concept of pedagogical action. The basic ideas of general pedagogy are analyzed and explicated using the concepts developed in Greimassian semiotics. For example, the Greimassian core concepts like subject, competence, performance and manipulation offer good reasons for its use also in a pedagogical context.
The semiotic theory is modified to make it more suitable for typical pedagogical questions. This is done by making the concept of meaning its basic concept. The aim is to make a dynamic and flexible theory which would better encapsulate an action which utilizes different semiotic systems and transfers from one system to another, like pedagogical action transfers from bio-semiotic communication to language and culture.
The concept of meaning is approached firstly by relating it to the concepts of causality and structure. The analysis arrives at a result whereby, in spite of the close connections, the meaning relationship must be differentiated from causal relationships, and that only living beings can have meaning relationships. The meanings are based on the action of organisms and the semiotic competence of organisms is their precondition. Furthermore, the linguistic and cultural meanings of human beings must be distinguished as a special area with special features, like a partial or apparent detachment from immediate action and collectively binding semiotic systems which are changing historically because of people's action.
Pedagogical action as a whole can be understood to be a meaningful object, with a deep structure that can be analyzed with semiotic concepts as a tension between the basic values of Nature and Culture. Following the semiotic theory of the generation of meaning, the structure of pedagogical action is analyzed as interaction of subjects who are trying to solve the tension between the basic values. The most important task for the follow-up studies is the continuation of the analysis to the empirical surface of the pedagogical action.
Schools in Transition: Linking Past, Present, and Future in Educational Practice, 2017
School is one of the most focal institutions in modern society. It is largely through the institu... more School is one of the most focal institutions in modern society. It is largely through the institutionalized forms of education that modern society attempts to secure and maintain its social and economic well-being and its valuable cultural life forms. In addition to this, school is the essential institution through which the future of a society is defined. Thus, at least when understood traditionally as a pedagogical institution, the school stands at the center of historically and socially constructed cultural life forms and at the brink of an unknown future: the determination of that future characterizes the pedagogical task of the school. It naturally ensues then, that modern discourses of the school have always been intertwined with the critical question of how past, present and future can be linked in educational practices so that schools can foster (in ever better ways) the well-being of individuals, societies and humanity. The chapters in this volume, despite the variety of viewpoints, share this critical view. The purpose of the volume is not to offer definite answers; rather it is to stress that to understand the role and functions of school in contemporary society and to orientate its transition, a well-founded critical evaluation of prevailing pedagogical practices and policy trends is required. This evaluation is vital for the future of school and society.
Semiotic Theory of Learning asks what learning is and what brings it about, challenging the hegem... more Semiotic Theory of Learning asks what learning is and what brings it about, challenging the hegemony of psychological and sociological constructions of learning in order to develop a burgeoning literature in semiotics as an educational foundation. Drawing on theoretical research and its application in empirical studies, the book attempts to avoid the problematization of the distinction between theory and practice in semiotics. It covers topics such as signs, significance and semiosis; the ontology of learning; the limits of learning; ecosemiotics; ecology and sexuality.
Education, Consciousness and Negative Feedback: Towards the Renewal of Modern Philosophy of Education, 2021
Among the biggest challenges facing the contemporary human condition, and therefore also educatio... more Among the biggest challenges facing the contemporary human condition, and therefore also education, is responding to the climate crisis. The source of the crisis is assumed to be absent-mindedness, presented by Leslie Dewart as a distortion of the development of human consciousness. Dewart's poorly-known philosophical consciousness study is presented in this paper in broad outline. The problems in the study of consciousness, the most important of which are the qualitative representations-qualia-and the question of free will, are also briefly discussed. These problems are then examined transcendental analytically, with the question of what one must assume in order to allow the emergence of these phenomena. From the resulting conception of causal relationship, we proceed to the circular causality as a prerequisite for life, namely the homeostatic systems and negative feedback. An organization of action that is essential to animals and humans is presented, using William Powers' perceptual control theory (PCT), and the role of consciousness in this organization is drafted according to the studies of Martin Taylor. Action is seen as continuous problem solving, in which negative feedback is used to bring perceptions into line with the goals. The fundamental function of consciousness is revealed as the direction and enhancement of learning. Based on PCT, it can be shown that the main practical problems in animal and, especially, human action, are related to adverse side effects of action and the resulting various conflicts. The climate crisis is a typical example of the problematic side effects of collective action. Dewart's concept of absent-mindedness can therefore be defined as an inability to responsibly account for the side effects of action. Thus, the main task of education is to forestall, through negative feedback and in cooperation with learner consciousness, absent-mindedness and the problems it causes.
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The semiotic theory is modified to make it more suitable for typical pedagogical questions. This is done by making the concept of meaning its basic concept. The aim is to make a dynamic and flexible theory which would better encapsulate an action which utilizes different semiotic systems and transfers from one system to another, like pedagogical action transfers from bio-semiotic communication to language and culture.
The concept of meaning is approached firstly by relating it to the concepts of causality and structure. The analysis arrives at a result whereby, in spite of the close connections, the meaning relationship must be differentiated from causal relationships, and that only living beings can have meaning relationships. The meanings are based on the action of organisms and the semiotic competence of organisms is their precondition. Furthermore, the linguistic and cultural meanings of human beings must be distinguished as a special area with special features, like a partial or apparent detachment from immediate action and collectively binding semiotic systems which are changing historically because of people's action.
Pedagogical action as a whole can be understood to be a meaningful object, with a deep structure that can be analyzed with semiotic concepts as a tension between the basic values of Nature and Culture. Following the semiotic theory of the generation of meaning, the structure of pedagogical action is analyzed as interaction of subjects who are trying to solve the tension between the basic values. The most important task for the follow-up studies is the continuation of the analysis to the empirical surface of the pedagogical action.