ABSTRACT
This chapter depicts neurosemiotics across species, with an emphasis on similarities and differences, by applying a biosemiotic perspective inspired by Jakob von Uexküll’s Umwelt theory. To understand the Umwelt (the subjective experiential world) of sentient organisms, we must consider neurosemiotic aspects of their experience and behavior. I pursue this aim by examining the nature of the so-called neural code, and look at whether this code can be understood as a semiotic concept. Connections are made between a proper understanding of the neural code and the neurosemiotics implicit in Umwelt theory. A further discussion concerns how different forms of neurosemiotic agency relate to organisms’ capacity to relate to objects, understood as discernable, unified wholes. This sheds light on neurosemiotic aspects of subjectivity across species. A final discussion addresses anthropocentrism in behavioral neuroscience, opening new neurosemiotic avenues for inter-species comparisons.
