Representation describes the signs that stand in for and take the place of something else.[1] It is through representation people know and understand the world and reality through the act of naming it.[1] Signs are manipulated in order to make sense of the world.[1]
Bust of Aristotle, Greek philosopherFor many philosophers, both ancient and modern, man is regarded as the "representational animal" or homo symbolicum, the creature whose distinct character is the creation and the manipulation of signs – things that "stand for" or "take the place of" something else.[1]
Representation has been associated with aesthetics (art) and semiotics (signs). Mitchell says "representation is an extremely elastic notion, which extends all the way from a stone representing a man to a novel representing the day in the life of several Dubliners"[1]
The term representation carries a range of meanings and interpretations. In literary theory representation is commonly defined in three ways.
- To look like or resemble
- To stand in for something or someone
- To present a second time to re-present[2]
Representation began with early literary theory in the ideas of Plato and Aristotle, and has evolved into a significant component of language, Saussurian and communication studies.[2]
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hu, 02 Jul 2009 10:41:51 GM
In cooperation with the ICAC (Catalonian Institute of Classical Antiquity) team, the members of the Department of Archeology revealed the results of the analysis of the material on the Pizarras site, entitled: Marmoreal . Representation. ...
