{"product_id":"the-primacy-of-semiosis-paul-bains-9781442626980","title":"The Primacy of Semiosis: An Ontology of Relations","description":"\u003cp\u003eHow do things come to stand for something other than themselves? An understanding of the ontology of relations allows for a compelling account of the action of signs. \u003cem\u003eThe Primacy of Semiosis\u003c\/em\u003e is concerned with the ontology of relations and semiosis, the action of signs. Drawing upon the work of Gilles Deleuze, John Deely, and John Poinsot, Paul Bains focuses on the claim that relations are 'external' to their terms, and seeks to give an ontological account of this purported externality of relations. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBains develops the proposition, first made in 1632 by John Poinsot (John of St. Thomas), that, ontologically, signs are relations whose whole being is in \u003cem\u003eesse ad\u003c\/em\u003e ('being-toward'). Furthermore, relations are found to be univocal in their being as relations. This univocity of being is antecedent to the division between '\u003cem\u003eens rationis\u003c\/em\u003e' and '\u003cem\u003eens reale\u003c\/em\u003e'. The ontology of relations Bains presents is thus neither mind-dependent nor mind-independent insofar as the rationale of the relation is concerned. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe book includes chapters on Deleuze and Deely on relations, Jacob von Uexkull and Heidegger on Umwelten (self-worlds), Maturana and Varela on Autopoieis. It provides the vicarious causality, by way of the scholastic doctrine of the 'species', that is now being resuscitated by Graham Harman and the emerging school of 'object oriented ontology'. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Primacy of Semiosis\u003c\/em\u003e provides a semiotic that subverts the opposition between realism and idealism; one in which what have been called 'nature' and 'culture' interpenetrate in an expanding collective of human and non-human. Bains' work promises to be a touchstone for semiotic discussion for years to come.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Paul Bains\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1442626984\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781442626980\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Toronto Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/16\/2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 198\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.66lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.46d","brand":"Paul Bains","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48518485508351,"sku":"9781442626980","price":42.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_bd86d1a8-a901-4596-a203-46233b0e7900.jpg?v=1778734614","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-primacy-of-semiosis-paul-bains-9781442626980","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}