Microdose - Semiotics and Semiology

Published posthumously in 1916, 'Course in General Linguistics' is a compilation of notes taken by Charles Bally and Albert Sechehaye from Ferdinand de Saussure's lectures at the University of Geneva between 1906 and 1911. The book is a seminal work in the field of linguistics, introducing key concepts such as the linguistic sign, which consists of the signifier (the form of a word or phrase) and the signified (the concept it represents). Saussure argues that language should be analyzed as a formal system of differential elements, emphasizing the importance of understanding language as a structured system of differences rather than a mere collection of words and rules. This work laid the groundwork for structuralism, a dominant approach in the humanities and social sciences in the 20th century.

In 'Mythologies', Roland Barthes examines the myths that permeate everyday French culture in the 1950s. The book is divided into two parts: the first part consists of 53 short essays that Barthes wrote for the literary magazine 'Les Lettres Nouvelles', analyzing various cultural phenomena such as wrestling, wine, the Tour de France, and fashion trends. These essays reveal how myths are used to shape public opinion and reinforce middle-class or 'bourgeois' views. The second part provides a theoretical discussion of myth, building on the work of Ferdinand de Saussure, and argues that myth is a 'second-order' system that imposes new meanings on existing signs, thereby serving as a powerful tool for promoting social and political agendas.