Semiotics

The meaning of Semiotics

Semiotics can be define in the simplest of ways as the science of signs.  There are three categories to semiotics, one is Iconic, Indexical, and the other is Symbolic.

Defining the 3 categories

Iconic:

The iconic category in Semiotics is something that looks like what it represents. It can mean like the symbol for death because the symbol of death is a skull and bones and that is what happens when you are dead after a while.

Indexical:

The Indexical category in Semiotics is the causal effect, also explained as something that is caused by something else. An example would be the symbol for smoke because smoke is that is caused by fire, and also another example for fire would be the ashes as that is what is left after the fire is out.

Symbolic:

The Symbolic category in Semiotics is a symbol that has to be learned and that it does not really look like what is representing. An example for symbolic would be the radiation sign or the bio hazard sign, radiation or a bio hazard does not really look like anything in specific but we have learned those signs and we know that they mean danger.

This is the symbol that is the front door of the mens restroom and I think it fits in the category of symbolic Semiotics. I think that it is symbolic because that room is not where you go to find a bunch of men just standing there. We have to learn that the symbol for the male signifies that it is the mens restroom because you can't put a symbol of a men literally using a restroom.