The reasons of the code: Reading eco's a theory of semiotics

Umberto Eco's A Theory of Semiotics1 is widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive treatments of semiosis.2 It is also a turning point in Eco's itinerary through various forms of interpretive thought.3 Moreover, in the history and development of semiotics in Italy, Eco's opus is a milestone, a historiographical moment of consolidation as well as a compass needle that locates paths and sets agendas for subsequent study.4 After a necessarily compressed synthesis of some fundamental tenets of A Theory of Semiotics, I propose to study three specific aspects: First, how the theory qua Theory is actually constructed, taking into account its component elements, their definition, and their use.