Amazonas next

I am currently on my way to the Amazonas, for the first time. It is also my first trip alone to Brazil, even though I have traveled here some 8 times before.

Professor promotion application in process; meeting

Today I have had a meeting with my head of department concerning my forthcoming application for promotion as full professor.

PhD application evaluation meeting

Today I attended a meeting with a UiS colleague with whom I am evaluating 23 PhD applications for a posthumanities-themed PhD position at Network for gender research.

Complaint grading for UiB

Today I took part in concluding complaint grading of an essay in environmental ethics, course code FIL236, for University of Bergen.

ISBS annual meeting attended

On Tuesday June 19th I attended the annual meeting of the International Society for Biosemiotic Studies (ISBS) in Berkeley, California. I was tasked with informing about Biosemiotics and announcing the 2017 Biosemiotic Achievement Award.

Biosmiotics 11(1) published

Biosemiotics volume 11, issue 1 has been published, according to a Springer notification alert. This is a regular issue, with 11 articles of different formats.

Search image paper presented

Today, as the last presenter at the 18th gathering in biosemiotics (Berkeley, California June 17-20th), I presented my paper "The search image as link between sensation, perception and action." Perhaps 70-80 people were present.

Conference dinner in Berkeley attended

I have just attended the conference dinner at the conclusion of the 18th gathering in biosemiotics here i Berkeley, California. It has been a great few days here.

First call for papers for NASS XI

The First Call for papers for the 11th conference of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies (NASS XI), which will be held at University of Stavanger June 13-15th 2019 with the theme "Anticipation and change", has started circulating. It can be found on the NASS webpage. Abstracts are due December 10th.

Greenhouse research seminar attended

On last Friday, June 15th, I attended the first research seminar of The Greenhouse at UiS. This included presenting environmental humanities research ideas. I also recruited a couple of volunteers for the organizing of NASS XI (to be held in Stavanger June 13-15th 2018).

Uexküll translation and framing essay cited in Clements MA thesis

These two articles, co-written and translated by me respectively ...:

— Jonathan Beever and Morten Tønnessen 2013. “Darwin und die englische  Moral”: The Moral Consequences of Uexküll’s Umwelt Theory. Biosemiotics 6(3): 437–447 (online version published September 25 2013, DOI 10.1007/s12304-013-9180-x).

— Jakob von Uexküll 2013 – translation by Morten Tønnessen, English language editing by Jonathan Beever. Darwin and the English Morality. Translation of "Darwin und die englische Moral", Deutsche Rundschau 173: 215-242. Biosemiotics 6(3): 449–471 (online version published November 21 2013, DOI 10.1007/s12304-013-9182-8).

... are cited in this master thesis:

Clements, Matthew 2018. A World Beside Itself – Jakob von Uexküll, CharlesS. Peirce, and the Genesis of a Biosemiotic Hypothesis. Master thesis, MPhil Humanities and Cultural Studies, Birkbeck University of London.

 

Excerpt, p. 79:

As Jonathan Beever and Morten Tønnessen document, a shift from a descriptive to a normative analysis of culture, supposedly justified on the basis of biology, had also been pursued in Uexküll’s 1917 essay on ‘Darwin und die Englische Moral’, and earlier still with the 1915 essay ‘Volk und Staat’.

Tripartite Umwelt model applied in Jeremy Lent´s Berkeley presentation

In his talk at the 18th Gathering in Biosemiotics today (held at UC Berkeley), "“The Tao in one’s own nature”: The congruence of Asian wisdom traditions and cognitive neuroscience in identifying the source and implications of human uniqueness", Jeremy Lent made extensive reference to, or rather use of, my workshop presentation (Language and life workshop, Tartu 2012) "The conceptual Umwelt and its role in the tripartite model of the human Umwelt".

Curriculum panel held; paper on Norwegian experience presented

Today I presented my paper "Biosemiotic readings in a Norwegian philosophy of science MA course" as part of the "Curriculum panel" at the 18th Gathering in Biosemiotics, held at UC Berkeley, as one of about nine presenters. Some 50-100 people were present.

At 18th gathering in biosemiotics, Berkeley: To present paper, contribute to panel, chair editorial board meeting

Here at the 18th gathering in biosemiotics, held at Berkeley, California (June 17-20th), I have been scheduled to take part in three activities:

• On Monday June 18th at 09.00-10.30 I will present, among 8 others, in the "Curriculum panel" initiated by Paul Cobley, with the paper "Biosemiotic readings in a Norwegian philosophy of science MA course".
• On Tuesday June 19th at 19.30-21.00 I will chair the editorial board meeting of Biosemiotics.
• On Wednesday June 20th at 17.30-18.00 I will present my paper "The search image as link between sensation, perception and action" - the very last presentation of the gathering.

At 18th gathering in biosemiotics, Berkeley

I arrived in Berkeley, California, last night, to attend the 18th Gathering in Biosemiotics, held here at University of California Berkeley June 17-20th and convened by Terrence Deacon and Yogi Hendlin. The conference, which seems to have attracted an attendance of about 100 people, takes place at International House at the campus of UC-Berkeley.

This is my first visit to California, and my second visit to the USA (I also attended the 2011 gathering in biosemiotics in New York).

Lead Editor-in-Chief for Biosemiotics

The Editors-in-Chief of Biosemiotics, that is Alexei Sharov, Timo Maran and myself, have agreed that starting with issue 2/2018 (volume 11, issue 2) I will be the lead Editor-in-Chief. This involves main responsibility for communication, and a coordinating role. Editorial decision-making is joint among the three of us.

MPH130 grading

I have just graded four exam papers in MPH130 for the continuation exam.

Abstract for "Semiotics of hybrid natures" conference: Current human ecology in light of Umwelt theory

Below is my abstract and bionote for the "Semiotics of hybrid natures" conference to be held in Tartu, Estonia, November 8-10th, where I am one of three keynote speakers.

***

Current human ecology in light of Umwelt theory

Morten Tønnessen

Associate professor of philosophy, University of Stavanger

Umwelt theory is an expression of von Uexküll´s subjective biology and as such it is usually applied in analysis of individual animals. However, Umwelt theory is fundamentally relational, and therefore also suitable for analysis of more complex wholes. Furthermore, depending on the level of generalization, Umwelt theory is also suitable for analysis of behavioral and experiential dynamics at a group level.

A significant methodological advantage of Umwelt theory is that it is applicable with regard to both human and non-human experience and action within one of the same framework. It is true enough that mapping the human Umwelt requires making methodological specifications of various Umwelt features, but in principle this is the case with the mapping of the Umwelt of any organism.

Given the relational nature of the Umwelt, an organism endowed with an Umwelt is never truly alone. The pertinent questions when mapping Umwelten are: What other creatures does this organism relate to? And of what nature are these relations?

In our age, which many have come to call «the Anthropocene», the human species dominates many ecosystems, and has established a manifold of tightly controlled production systems and resource streams involving or affecting living creatures in both in-door and outdoor environments. In the Anthropocene discourse, the debate rages as to what level of human control is appropriate.

Big picture-notions and planetary perspectives are important, but so is the subjective animal perspective that von Uexküll emphasized. To what extent can these be combined? How are planetary boundaries related to the biosphere understood as semiosphere? Can tipping points, e.g. in climate dynamics, in some cases be understood as being of an ecosemiotic nature?

No matter what we conclude concerning such methodological questions, one can hardly overestimate the effect the human species has even on wildlife. We affect the experience and behaviour of animals by causing environmental changes in land, water and air, by influencing prey densities and the occurrence of natural enemies, and in some cases we also affect animals´ sociality or possibilities for courtship and mating. And towards many species, we behave like an unsustainable super-predator.

In the course of this presentation, I will apply notions such as Umwelt transition, Umwelt trajectory, Umwelt aggregate, and Umwelt alignment, in an attempt to outline some of the most important characteristics of contemporary human ecology. We no doubt affect animal behavior and experience on a massive scale both wittingly and unwittingly. To understand our changing relations to living beings and nature, we must be aware of the different forms relations can take on e.g. for wild, liminal and domesticated animals.

BIONOTE

Morten Tønnessen (born 1976) is Associate professor of philosophy at University of Stavanger´s Department of social studies. He has worked with Umwelt theory since his Master degree from University of Oslo (2002), and conducted his doctoral studies at University of Tartu (2011). Tønnessen has published extensively within biosemiotics and human-animal studies, and is currently President of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies and Co-Editor-in-Chief of Biosemiotics. Academic (b)log: http://UtopianRealism.blogspot.com.