Eco’s Lingua Edenica and "other languages" : a biblical-theological critique of Umberto Eco’s semiotics

Šimić, Krešimir (author)

The paper introduces a close reading of Eco’s article “Generazione di messaggi estetici in una lingua edenica” (1971), in which he fictionalized the biblical story from Gen 2 to show that the aesthetic use of language generates internal contradictions (self-contradictions), as well as that any such contradiction at the level of expression/form also entails a contradiction at the level of content. Furthermore, the basic postulates of Eco’s semiotic theory revolving around the sign-function are discussed, followed by outlining certain theological-semiotics of language based on the text from the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles (descent of the Spirit). It is based on an original sign – which is not, as with Eco, a sign associated with another sign (interpretant) within a sign system (code) nor a “dynamic object,” but it is the Mystical Body. The paper concludes by arguing that it is this very Body, and not the poetic invention, that generates “other languages” (ἑτέραις γλώσσαις) and consequently a communion, which is not multiethnic nor multilingual, but a Catholic community.

• Language: English
• Keywords: semiotic, sign, “other languages”, mystical body
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: TEOF - Theological Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2023
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: Str. 359-377
• Numbering: Letn. 83, [št.] 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-164181
• UDC: 81'22:27-27
• ISSN on article: 0006-5722
• DOI: 10.34291/BV2023/02/Simic
• COBISS.SI-ID: 174640643
• Publication date in RUL: 17.10.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Bogoslovni vestnik
• Shortened title: Bogosl. vestn.
• Publisher: Bogoslovna akademija, Bogoslovna akademija, Teološka fakulteta v Ljubljani, Teološka fakulteta Univerze v Ljubljani, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 0006-5722
• COBISS.SI-ID: 8745472

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Ecova Lingua Edenica in ‚drugi jeziki‘ : biblično-teološka kritika semiotike Umberta Eca

Abstract

Prispevek predstavlja natančno branje Ecovega članka „Generazione di messaggi estetici in una lingua edenica“ (1971) – v njem poustvarja svetopisemsko zgodbo iz 2. poglavja Geneze, da bi pokazal, da estetska raba jezika ustvarja notranja protislovja (samoprotislovja) in da vsako tako protislovje na ravni izraza/forme vključuje tudi protislovje na ravni vsebine. Ob tem so obravnavani osnovni postulati Ecove semiotične teorije, ki se vrtijo okoli funkcije znaka, čemur sledi oris nekaterih teološko-semiotičnih vidikov jezika na podlagi besedila iz drugega poglavja Apostolskih del (sestop Duha). Ta temelji na izvornem znaku, ki ni (kot pri Ecu) znak, povezan z drugim znakom (razlagalcem) znotraj znakovnega sistema (koda), niti „dinamični predmet“, temveč Mistično Telo. Prispevek se zaključuje z argumentom, da prav to Telo, in ne pesniška iznajdba, ustvarja „druge jezike“ (ἑτέραις γλώσσαις) in posledično občestvo, ki ni ne multietnično ne večjezično, pač pa katoliška skupnost.

• Keywords: semiotika, znak, „drugi jeziki“, mistično telo