Abstract

Though it belongs to the so-called pre-semiotics phase, "Apocalittici e integrati [Apocalypse Postponed]" anticipates the theoretical framework of many of Eco'ssubsequent reflections and outlines important directions for the semiotic analysis of culture. Of particular importance from this point of view is the long essay on «Cultura di massa e "livelli" di cultura» where Eco outlines some «research proposals», as he calls them, which are already at the heart of a semiotic project. The aspects that seem to be the most significant in this regard (and productive for future developments) are: the problem of the grammar of forms; the crucial role of interpretation; the issue of consumption of the forms.