Chapter 5 9/28

In this chapter, Jonathan Culler states, “Where there are signs, there is a system.” By this he means that for signs to be meaningful to one another, there must be some type of society that teaches people how these signs are supposed to be interpreted. In simpler terms, the meaning of signs is not determined naturally, but by society. One interesting point made by author Karl Mannheim states that individuals do not do the thinking, individuals participate in thinking further what other men have thought before them. People come into a situation with knowledge of a certain topic and further elaborate on this topic based on inherited modes of response. Emile Durkheim makes another good point when he states individuals are in society, while society is in individuals. We all may have our own ideas and opinions, however these ideas and opinions are all shaped by the society we live in. The author goes on to argue that the “self-made” man, completely independent from society, is a falsehood and does not exist, while the egalitarian or individualistic society of the past overlooked the importance of social institutions.