I NTRODUCCIÓN
The vivid introspective description by Soviet semiotician Mikhail Bakhtin seeks to uncover the essence of consciousness By systematically stripping away the layers that obscure it, Bakhtin aims to define consciousness in its purest form.
Consciousness seems to be filled with words that serve as the ideal medium to embody its contents, including thoughts, sensations, and desires By settling down, closing our eyes, and attempting to clear our minds, we can focus on our breathing and the sounds around us However, we soon realize that it is impossible to perceive sounds without their accompanying 'labels'; for instance, a honk is not just a sound but carries an identifiable meaning in our awareness.
"bocinazo", el ladrido de un perro aparece como "perro", y no como una simple vibración en mi aparato auditivo, y si lo fuera así probablemente aparecería como "vibración" (la palabra)
Attempting to strip away this layer from our consciousness is akin to a child peeling an onion As they remove the first layer, then the second, they continue until they realize that nothing remains in their hands—absolutely nothing.
Sin signos pareciera no existir conciencia posible
This work aims to systematically uncover the sign-based constitution necessary for the existence of higher psychological processes and consciousness itself It is essential to investigate the peculiarities of consciousness when it is constructed semiotically, making it relevant to explore the characteristics of signs and their potential for meaning and reference Such an exploration will highlight the need for a study of culture, as it relates to and originates from this semiotically constituted consciousness.
This research will reveal that higher psychological processes are defined as superior due to their distinctly human characteristics, which emerge through the semiotic mediation provided by signs.
De hecho se nos revelará que es la propia mediación semiótica la que posibilita una conciencia capaz de dirigirse y controlar tanto la conducta externa como la interna
To understand the origin of semiotic mediation, it is essential to examine the internalization processes described by Lev Semenovich Vygotsky He illustrates that the key to acquiring this semiotic mediation lies in the internal reconstruction of an external operation within a social context Consequently, consciousness, shaped by psychological processes characterized by sign-mediated interactions, has a cultural genesis rooted in a specific socio-historical context.
This article will focus on analyzing the sign as a necessary unit of consciousness To facilitate this analysis, I will reference Umberto Eco's Theory of Codes to characterize the sign in terms of its constitutive possibilities and its referential and significant characteristics This discussion will ultimately return to culture, which serves as the sole reference for the sign and the exclusive source of meaning.
A study of culture as a reference point and its significance highlights the importance of examining it as a semiotic mechanism Emphasizing the textuality of culture, as proposed by Jurij Lotman and the Tartu School, reveals the semiotic functions of culture and may indicate key characteristics of the semiotic media in which individuals operate within this cultural mechanism.
Individuals engage in a semiotic mechanism through the internalization of mediation embodied in signs, which shapes their consciousness This semiotic mechanism serves as a cultural diffuser of ideology, as internalized elements inherently carry value orientations, leading to a value judgment associated with each sign based on the individual's unique experiences within a specific culture Therefore, it is crucial to highlight the ideological dimension of mediation, for which Bakhtin is particularly relevant due to his theoretical alignment with Vygotsky and the concept of internalization.
Having clarified the type of material internalized, we must analyze the role of this sign within consciousness, focusing on its cultural and ideological context To do this, I will draw on the works of Vygotsky and Bakhtin regarding internal language, revealing that meaning is primarily dominated by sense rather than mere significance.
Through a critical assimilation process among various authors, a connection is established between the individual and culture via language In this circle, the individual internalizes semiotic mediation influenced by their socio-historical and cultural context, which serves as a tool for developing human consciousness This consciousness is a socio-historical realization unique to a specific culture.
This article outlines a coherent framework for a psychology that centers on consciousness as its primary focus While acknowledging its inherent incompleteness, this work highlights the necessity for further research to transform this framework into a comprehensive model for analysis In alignment with Vygotsky's perspective, it emphasizes that "semiotic analysis is the only appropriate method for studying the structure of the system and content of consciousness" (1991b, p [insert page number]).
129), asimilando críticamente sus fundamentales aportes con algunos de los más relevantes estudios semióticos actuales
Critical assimilation should not be confused with eclecticism; it is an intellectual approach that allows for the incorporation of valid contributions from various theoretical systems while excluding any proposals that do not align with the facts, thus facilitating a coherent integration.
The opposition to eclecticism lies in its tendency to allow contradictory assertions to coexist under a predominantly unifying framework Critical assimilation meets the methodological requirements of broad vision, absence of dogmatism, and flexibility, enabling it to evolve in a coherent direction while maintaining systematic integrity in the creation of knowledge that can be validated as scientific (Blanck, 1987).
C ONCIENCIA Y M EDIACIÓN
§ La Mediación Semiótica como Característica de lo Humano
Tal vez un primer paso para caracterizar a nuestro objeto de estudio, la conciencia humana, sea diferenciar la conducta animal de la humana como primera aproximación hacia lo propiamente humano
Son famosos los experimentos de Kửhler con chimpancộs (en Bally, 1986)
In his experiments, Küler placed a chimpanzee in a testing cage and positioned a banana at a distance Inside the cage, there were two bamboo sticks, each too short to reach the fruit The solution required the chimpanzee to combine the two sticks, as the thinner one fits into the end of the thicker one When both sticks were within the chimpanzee's line of sight to the banana, it sometimes successfully solved the problem.
However, if at least one of the sticks was not within the same visual field, the monkey was unable to connect them The primate would only attempt to use the stick that was in the same visual field as the food If it turned around and saw the other stick, it could not associate it Even when both sticks were placed within the visual field, arranged in a cross, the animal would not even attempt to solve the problem.
Wolfgang Kửhler demostrú con estos experimentos la dificultad del animal de moverse con independencia de la tracción de su campo Tal como describe Gustav Bally
"Living beings do not act independently; rather, they are acted upon by their environment" (1986, p 22) Animals must engage directly with the objects in their surroundings when faced with urgent needs, such as jumping over a fence to access food behind it This behavior illustrates that they are often prisoners of their perceptual field.
Se realizaron experimentos de similares caracterớsticas con niủos pequeủos (Levina en Vygotsky, 1979); estas observaciones mostraron dos hechos fundamentales:
Children not only act to achieve a goal but also engage in spontaneous conversation throughout the experiment Their dialogue is continuous and focuses solely on their actions, demonstrating that their speech and behavior serve a unified psychological function aimed at problem-solving.
(Vygotsky, 1979; p 49) De ahớ que para los niủos resulte normal y tambiộn necesario hablar mientras actúan
The conversation becomes more intense and persistent as the complexity of the required action to reach a solution increases In fact, if they were not allowed to express themselves, they struggled to complete the task.
Vygotsky concluded that children solve practical tasks with the aid of language, eyes, and hands, allowing them greater autonomy beyond their immediate visual context This linguistic assistance enables children to engage in preliminary actions as indirect methods, expanding their effectiveness by planning specific actions By using words as stimuli outside their immediate field of vision, children can prepare for future actions and manipulate objects more effectively This process makes their behavior less impulsive and spontaneous, distinguishing their activity into two consecutive parts: planning and implementation Additionally, language not only facilitates the effective manipulation of objects but also aids in self-regulating behavior, allowing children to become both subjects and objects of their own actions.
The development of symbolic activity in children is fundamental to human behavior, as it serves an organizing function that influences the use of tools and fosters new forms of behavior, breaking away from immediate interactions with reality Children are characterized by mediating their actions through the use of both internal and external tools, encompassing everything from planning to the implementation of solutions.
As language development converges with practical activity, human psychological processes gain unique characteristics linked to the functions of language in that context, particularly in organizing and controlling mental behavior Vygotsky (1979) emphasizes that natural psychological processes become superior through semiotic mediation.
In perception, characterized by its globalizing structure, the labeling of objects with names allows for the selection of specific items, distinguishing them from the overall perceived situation and creating new dynamic structural centers that have been artificially introduced As language develops, it takes on a synthesizing function, where each perceived element is not only classified individually but also interconnected within a sentence structure, making language an essentially analytical component Consequently, human perception operates primarily as categorized perception rather than a series of individual perceptions, with each perception reflecting a meaningful and significant real world.
Language influences attention by creating new structural focal points in perceived situations, which reorganizes the visual and spatial field through categorized perception This reorganization establishes a temporal field that is as tangible and real as the visual field, allowing for the recognition of changes in immediate situations compared to past activities and enabling present actions to be informed by future considerations According to Vygotsky (1979), a child's field of attention encompasses not just one, but all potential perceptual fields that form dynamic and successive structures.
The ability to merge elements from both past and present visual fields into a single focus relies on the qualities of mediated memory Human memory operates by transcending traditional boundaries, allowing for a richer integration of experiences and perceptions.
Vygotsky argued against the notion of a spontaneous transition from primitive to higher psychological processes, emphasizing the existence of intermediate forms that he experimentally validated He demonstrated the dynamic nature of developmental processes, asserting that symbolic operations necessarily arise from non-symbolic ones The biological possibilities of the nervous system incorporate both artificial and self-generated stimuli, which he referred to as signs These signs act as new focal points that disrupt the natural relationship between figure and ground, thereby creating the necessary conditions for the development of a unified system that encompasses elements from the past, present, and future.
The transformation of natural functions into higher psychological functions through the use of signs is a gradual process tied to the overall evolution of the psychological system Developmental psychology explains that a child's level of development influences which functions are prioritized, with this hierarchy shifting as the individual's understanding of meaning evolves As children achieve greater generalization in the meanings of signs, their other functions become more logical This distinction is evident in the difference between a child's perception of thinking as merely remembering, compared to an adult's understanding of remembering as a form of thinking (Vygotsky, 1979 and 1991d).
The importance of the sign as a tool for controlling and evolving internal activity is highlighted in the work of semioticians and Soviet psycholinguists, who draw an analogy between signs and tools (Vygotsky, 1979; Luria, 1984; Bakhtin, 1993a) This analogy stems from the mediating function both signs and tools serve While tools are externally oriented and aim to effect changes in external objects, signs focus on internal activity, not seeking to alter external objects but rather regulating and self-directing psychological operations.
There is a significant relationship between tools and signs, as highlighted by Engels (1986a) in "Introduction to the Dialectics of Nature." He emphasizes that humanity's alteration of nature inevitably leads to an internal transformation within the individual According to Engels, this transformation arises from the use of tools.
E L S IGNO : M ATERIA DE LA C ONCIENCIA
The study of semiotics provides valuable insights into the nature of consciousness, particularly in understanding the role of signs and meaning According to Eco (1981), semiotics is defined as the discipline focused on any phenomenon of signification, making the sign itself the central object of study This perspective aligns with Vygotsky's recognition of semiotics as a crucial source of knowledge about the components that shape consciousness, as noted in his works from 1979 and the early 1990s.
Así en esta parte se pretende conocer al signo de un modo más profundo § El Signo desde el punto de vista de la Semiosis
Para entender al signo en toda su magnitud Peirce (1986) propone comprenderlo en su relación de acción o influencia que implica tres elementos 6 :
5 Este concepto se explicará más adelante
In discussing semiotics and its relation to signs, it is essential to choose between the theories of Peirce and Saussure Saussure (1994) defines semiotics as the study of signs within the context of social life, viewing signs as intentional communicative constructs In contrast, Peirce (1986) describes semiotics as the study of semiosis, where a sign represents something for someone, emphasizing the role of the interpreter in creating meaning Given our focus on understanding consciousness through signs, where the known and the thought become reality in the sign, the preference for Peirce's perspective is clearly justified.
Desde este punto de vista, el signo debe ser estudiado desde el fenómeno de la semiosis que es la relación que establecen estos tres elementos para que allá significación
Semiosis is the process of signification or understanding a sign, consisting of an object or referent from which an idea, termed 'the foundation of the representamen' by Peirce, is derived This idea of the object is represented by the sign or representamen The sign, which denotes something to someone in a specific aspect or character, elicits an interpretant or meaning in that individual According to Peirce (1986), this interpretant is essentially another sign generated in the mind.
De lo anterior se pueden extraer varias conclusiones:
A sign serves as a substitute for something else, meaning it can represent any object or concept Eco (1981) emphasizes that a sign does not require the existence of what it represents at the moment of substitution Consequently, he states that "semiotics, in principle, is a discipline that studies everything that can be used to deceive" (1981, p 31).
A sign represents something to someone, and its representational function relies on the interpretative response of a subject This is crucial when discussing codes as systems of signification, as any signification system must establish correspondences between the sign (a materially present object) and what it represents Eco (1981, 1990) asserts that all communication systems must be grounded in a system of signification; without a code to regulate the relationships between signs (representamen) and meanings (interpretante) for the interpreting subjects, effective communication is impossible.
A sign represents something to someone, and it only qualifies as a sign when there is a correlation between an expression and its content, forming a cohesive unit From this perspective, a sign is not a physical or fixed semiotic entity; rather, it serves as a meeting point for mutually independent elements Eco (1981) emphasizes that "properly speaking, there are no signs, only semiotic functions" (p 100) Similarly, Vygotsky focused on the meaning of words rather than the signs themselves as the unit of consciousness, asserting that "the key to the unit we designate as linguistic thought resides in the meaning of the word" (Vygotsky, 1991c, p 20).
The sign should be understood as a unit of correlation between the sign itself and its meaning, highlighting that it cannot be treated as a fixed element Instead, it functions as a manifestation of consciousness.
In the realm of semiotics, the meaning of a sign is essentially another sign created within the mind of the interpreter This concept, highlighted by Peirce (1986), emphasizes that semiosis is an endless phenomenon, where no sign exists independently; each sign is interpretable and explainable only through the lens of another sign Consequently, every sign inherently refers to another sign, illustrating the interconnected nature of meaning in semiotic relationships.
Así, a través de la descripción del signo como inseparable del fenómeno de semiosis descrito por Peirce:
• Hemos podido demarcar al signo como un algo que está en lugar de alguna otra cosa, sin importar si esta otra cosa existe o no
• También nos hemos dado cuenta de que el signo sólo representa algo para alguien, de modo que es la presencia de un sujeto interpretante el constituye a algo como signo
The sign is revealed as a unit that embodies the combination of expression and content; therefore, when considering a sign, we should focus on its function rather than viewing it merely as an entity.
• Y, por último, el signo ha aparecido provocando en el sujeto que interpreta, un significado y una referencia que no es más que otro signo
However, there remains a need to analyze the sign as a constituent of a code and as a bearer of meaning and reference The sign functions as a unit within a system of codes.
To understand the sign as a component of a code, it is essential to reference Eco's (1981) Theory of Codes Eco distinguishes between S-Codes and proper Codes, highlighting the difference between systems where elements are defined by simple combination rules and those with more complex rules that correlate with existing correlation systems The latter are referred to as Codes.
An S-Code is a structured system consisting of a finite set of elements organized in opposition, where their specific values are determined by positions and differences governed by combinatorial rules This system becomes evident only when different phenomena are compared using the same relational framework.
De lo anterior se desprende que cualquier teoría de la información pueda tratar con estos S-Códigos, ya que pueden existir con absoluta independencia de un propósito significativo o comunicativo
Unlike the previous concepts, a Code serves as the rule for associating one S-Code with another or others S-Codes can thus be defined as structures within a communicative system where syntactic and semantic S-Codes correlate through a Code Consequently, the Code not only organizes signs but also provides the rules for generating signs as concrete occurrences during communicative interactions (Eco, 1981; p 101).
The sign is essentially a transient formation defined by a code, which is in turn established by a convention This means that the conventional mechanism of the code regulates the relationships between the expression and content of a specific code (Eco, 1981) The relationship between expression and content will be addressed later, particularly regarding the sign's significant and referential possibilities It is important to note that the code governs and establishes relationships based on a determining convention.
The code reveals itself as a concrete sign of both external and internal language through the correlation of structures (S-Codes) inherent to the semiotic function Consequently, the naive concept of a sign is challenged and dissolved into a web of multiple and mutable relationships The sign is no longer a fixed entity; it evolves alongside the structural relationships that are influenced by a code, which also transforms with the cultural and social evolution of its historical context.
L A C ULTURA COMO M ECANISMO S EMIÓTICO
S EMIÓTICO § El Mecanismo Semiótico de la Cultura
Understanding culture as a collection of cultural units that form the basis of semiotic function leads us to view culture itself as a semiotic mechanism that generates texts This perspective emphasizes the importance of analyzing culture in this light Therefore, I will outline a characterization of culture based on the studies of Jurij Lotman and the Tartu School.
According to Lotman and Uspenskij (1979), the fundamental "work" of culture is to structurally organize the world surrounding humans, acting as a generator of structurality This process creates a socio-sphere around individuals, akin to the biosphere, which enables relational life To accomplish this task, culture relies on a structural stereotyping device, fulfilled by natural language.
Language plays a crucial role in transforming realia into words, converting the vastness of reality into a structured system of names This structuring compels individuals to interpret phenomena that may not be inherently evident Consequently, language serves as a conceptual framework where human knowledge is stored in collective memory, translated into words This collective memory, which is not hereditary, ultimately defines culture.
11 Los realia podríamos decir que son unidades del llamado "mundo abierto", es decir una realidad externa a la cultura sólo cognoscible (¿?) mediante el "mundo cerrado" de la cultura
Defining culture as a non-hereditary collective memory positions it as a social phenomenon inherently linked to historical experiences This perspective emphasizes that a full understanding of culture is achieved only after reflecting on past events.
The semiotic mechanism of culture operates as a concentric system, with the most evident and coherent structures at its center Towards the periphery, less demonstrable formations exist, which, when included in sign-communicative situations, function as structures This lack of precise internal order grants culture an unmatched internal capacity and dynamism compared to more rigidly structured systems Thus, this unfinished construction and incomplete organization of culture as a unitary semiotic system is not a flaw, but rather a normal condition of its functioning The very nature of cultural appropriation presupposes that the world is systematic (Lotman and Uspenskij, 1979, p 84).
The transformation of the open world into a closed world of names highlights how culture restructures the unstructured into the structured Therefore, for the central encoding device to have a broad capacity for cultural appropriation, it is essential that certain conditions are met.
It possesses a high modeling capacity, meaning it can describe a vast array of objects, including those that are still unknown Additionally, it should be able to declare as nonexistent those objects that cannot be described by this modeling ability.
Individuals, or the collective as Lotman describes, perceive systematicity as a tool to impose order on what is otherwise formless Consequently, a persistent threat to this systematicity arises from the tendency to become automated as a structure.
Así la cultura aparece como un modelizador cognoscitivo al constituirse como un mecanismo generador de textos, textos que constituyen a su vez la realidad misma a conocer
The question arises regarding the determination of the text-generating mechanism According to Lotman, the dynamism inherent in this mechanism is intrinsically linked to the dynamic nature of social relationships Thus, this dynamism becomes an internal property of culture, while also reflecting the material conditions of existence.
13 La cursiva es mía hombre, las que ejercitarían una acción perturbadora sobre su sistema de representaciones ideales
The dynamism of the semiotic mechanism of culture is fundamentally influenced by the dynamics of social relationships, shaped by actions within specific social and cultural contexts It is essential to emphasize the ideological dimension of signs, as this evaluative aspect is inherent in signs and plays a crucial role in how culture structures our understanding of the world Culture intrinsically encompasses this evaluative dimension, referred to as ideology, which operates both implicitly and explicitly in every social interaction Therefore, it is necessary to draw upon the ideas of Bakhtin, a significant influence on Lotman.
Bajtin (1993b, as cited in Silvestri, 1993) emphasizes that one of the key dimensions of a sign is its evaluative aspect This value judgment embedded in the sign is inherently social; it reflects the collective importance and significance recognized by a specific social group Such valuation plays a crucial role in the generative process of meaning within language (Silvestri, 1993, p 53).
When a sign enters consciousness, it is already infused with social value and the perspective of a specific group, regardless of whether one belongs to that group or if the conditions that created that value have ceased to exist There are no neutral signs; every sign carries a value dimension, making all signs ideological, with ideology manifesting in concrete semiotic materials Thus, the sign embodies ideology, and ideology is the essence of the sign.
Every sign, by mirroring reality, conveys a socially determined perspective of that reality Consequently, the semiotic function (or sign) is inherently ideological, as its real content is not only cultural but also ideologically charged, reflecting the values and beliefs embedded within it.
Bajtin's conception of ideology refers to a system of values and viewpoints that reflects the social and political consciousness of a specific class This ideological dimension is integral to the dynamic mechanism of cultural semiotics, where known reality is imbued with evaluative judgments that differentiate between good and evil, as well as beauty and ugliness As culture evolves, so does this ideological aspect, with each stage of social development presenting a unique set of objects and relationships that capture social attention Only these elements gain semantic form and become subjects of communicative exchange.
De ello deviene que toda posibilidad cognitiva sea interpretativa, determinada por una cierta ubicación en un contexto social y cultural de la historia
We have established a connection between culture and the individual through an individual consciousness shaped by signs, which in turn influence that consciousness These signs ultimately refer to culture, which encodes and structures an ideologically charged reality This highlights the importance of studying the media through which culture conveys semiotic functions that shape individuals' minds.
L ENGUAJE I NTERNO Y S ENTIDO
§ Abreviación y estructura del lenguaje interno
Lev Semenovich Vygotsky es el investigador que ha realizado los mayores avances al respecto (Siguán, 1987); de ahí la importancia de aludir a su investigación para caracterizar el lenguaje interno
According to Vygotsky (1991c), the key feature of internal language is abbreviation, which refers to the way we think in words without the need to articulate them fully or adhere to complete sentence structure.
Abbreviations play a crucial role in a child's development, beginning with egocentric language and evolving into internal language As egocentric language becomes recognized as a distinct and autonomous function, it increasingly reflects a tendency toward internal control and self-regulation.
• la debilitación de la sintaxis, y a
The more differentiated the function of egocentric language becomes, the more its syntactic particularities are accentuated, leading to greater simplification and predicativity Vygotsky asserts that the stronger the specifically intellectual function of internal language manifests, the clearer the peculiarities of its syntactic structure become.
Estas particularidades sintácticas expresadas en la abreviación del lenguaje interno, y que van asumiendo forma desde el lenguaje egocéntrico dicen relación con tres fuentes (Vygotsky, 1991c):
1 La primera de ellas es la predicatividad , en que la formulación de la estructura sintáctica carece de sujeto, pues este sería conocido, sin necesidad de formularlo explícitamente
The reduction of phonetic moments in language highlights that self-talk doesn't require fully pronouncing words; intention suffices to understand which word will be spoken This indicates that language primarily operates on semantics rather than phonetics, suggesting a relative independence between a word's meaning and its sound.
The unique semantic structure of internal language highlights the third source of abbreviation, where the emphasis is primarily on the sense of a word rather than its literal meaning.
The study of internal language reveals that the semiotic function within the interpreting subject is less about the literal meaning of words and more about their underlying sense.
Vygotsky defines meaning as "the sum of all psychological events evoked in our consciousness through words," highlighting that the meaning of a word is a dynamic, variable, and complex formation with different zones of stability The definition is just one of these stable zones, the most coherent and precise Thus, the meaning of a word, independent of its sound, is enriched by contextual sense, which is essential to the dynamics of word meanings He notes that "a word is embedded in a context from which it derives its intellectual and emotional content, absorbing that content and signifying more or less than it does in isolation," as the context expands its repertoire of meanings while also limiting and specifying its abstract significance.
Vygotsky's concept of context extends beyond the immediate environment in which a sign is interpreted; it encompasses the intersection of social contexts shaped by specific sociocultural histories and individual contexts influenced by unique personal interactions with their social surroundings.
De aquí se desprenden dos consecuencias: la primera de ellas nos dice que
Ultimately, the meaning of words is shaped by individual interpretations of the world and the internal structure of one's personality Additionally, the significance of a word can easily detach from it, just as it can readily attach to another term.
Considering the predominance of sense over meaning, where the meaning of a word is determined by the word as a whole rather than its individual phonemes, and similarly, the meaning of a phrase is tied to its entirety, two semantic particularities emerge according to Vygotsky (1991c) The first pertains to the processes of agglutination used to form compound words that express complex concepts This phenomenon is evident in egocentric language, which, as it becomes internalized, shows a progressive increase in this tendency.
Another characteristic that emerges is the influence of meaning According to Vygotsky (1991), "the meanings of different words influence each other as if they were poured into one another," allowing the sense of one word to modify or exist within another This interplay results in each word acquiring a completely new and significantly richer meaning It is as if each word encompasses the meanings of the preceding and following words, thereby extending its significance almost limitlessly.
The semiotic function's content should be understood through the interrelation of signs within a text that shapes consciousness In this context, the overall meaning of the text is more significant than the individual meanings of each sign, as it encompasses a range of influences Therefore, each sign must be interpreted within the text it forms, which arises from the dialogue between the individual—shaped by their unique sociocultural interactions—and society, which reflects the history of sociocultural evolution This dialogue gives rise to the signs themselves.
This text references various theoretical sources that focus on the study of signs and semiotic functions from different perspectives: psycholinguistics, which examines how language shapes consciousness and individual identity; semiotics, which aims for a pure study of signs; and cultural semiotics, which connects these signs to cultural life and its underlying values.
I have illustrated a framework that depicts the sign as the fundamental component of consciousness, shaping and defining the cognitive possibilities of human beings This enables the development of higher psychological functions unique to humanity This central figure arises from the internalization of culturally significant actions, allowing us to understand consciousness from a sociogenetic perspective.
The analysis of the sign as a necessary unit of consciousness leads us back to culture, which serves as the sole reference point for the sign and its meaning Consequently, culture is examined as a structuring mechanism that shapes reality through semiotization However, this structuring of reality via signs is inherently infused with a value dimension influenced by the dominant ideology of the context in which individuals are situated, shaped by the semiotic means inherent to their culture.