Adaptation, learning, Bildung: Discussion with edu- and biosemiotics

• Main Author: Eetu Pikkarainen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Tartu Press 2018-12-01
• Series: Sign Systems Studies
• Subjects: learning; Bildung; action; adaptation; Perceptual Control Theory (PCT); edusemiotics
• Online Access: https://ojs.utlib.ee/index.php/sss/article/view/15976

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.