Biography
- 1915 - 1980
- Cherbourg, France
- Literary theory, semiotics, structuralism
- Roland Barthes was a French literary theorist and philosopher who is known for his contributions to the fields of literary theory, semiotics, and structuralism. He was born in Cherbourg, France and later studied at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. Barthes's work focused on the ways in which meaning is created and conveyed in literature and other forms of cultural expression. He is best known for his concept of the "death of the author," which suggests that the meaning of a text is not determined by the intentions of its creator, but rather by the ways in which it is interpreted by its readers.
Highlight
- Roland Barthes is known for his contributions to the fields of literary theory, semiotics, and structuralism, and is best known for his concept of the "death of the author."
- Philosophers/Modern Era/Ferdinand de Saussure - Barthes's work in semiotics was heavily influenced by Ferdinand de Saussure's theories of language and communication.
- Jacques Derrida - Barthes's concept of the "death of the author" is closely related to Jacques Derrida's concept of "deconstruction," which suggests that meaning is not fixed, but rather is constantly being negotiated and reinterpreted.
Books
- Mythologies - a collection of essays by Barthes that explore the ways in which myths and symbols are used in everyday life and culture.
- The Death of the Author - an influential essay by Barthes that discusses the idea that the meaning of a text is not determined by the intentions of its creator, but rather by the ways in which it is interpreted by its readers.
Concepts
- Semiotics - the study of signs and symbols and the ways in which they are used to create and convey meaning.
- Structuralism - a theoretical approach that emphasizes the importance of structures and patterns in language and culture.
- "Death of the Author" - the idea that the meaning of a text is not determined by the intentions of its creator, but rather by the ways in which it is interpreted by its readers.
References
- Barthes, R. (1977). The death of the author. In Image, Music, Text (pp. 142-148). New York: Hill and Wang.
- Barthes, R. (1972). Mythologies (translated by Annette Lavers). New York: Hill and Wang.
- Roland Barthes. (n.d.). In Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/barthes/