Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai
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Claudio Paolucci, “Cognitive Semiotics. Integrating Signs, Minds, Meaning and Cognition” (Springer, 2021)
Get PDFClaudio Paolucci’s Cognitive Semiotics is an ambitious and original contribution to contemporary semiotics, particularly within the realm of cognitive semiotics, where he puts forth a bold thesis: cognitive semiotics should not be seen as a subfield or applied domain of semiotic research, but rather as the core vocation of semiotics itself. Adequately understood, semiotics is an inquiry into how human beings come to know, act within, and transform their world through sign systems. The book builds on the legacy of Umberto Eco and Peircean pragmatism while placing semiotics into direct conversation with three major currents in contemporary cognitive theory: Radical Enactivism, Pragmatism, and Material Engagement Theory (MET). The result is a theoretical synthesis that is both conceptually robust and surprisingly unified, especially given the diversity of traditions it brings together.
The book consists of five chapters, beginning with a substantial Preface in which Paolucci places his work within Eco’s semiotic tradition. The Preface is particularly noteworthy, articulating Eco’s core question—how we come to understand the world—as a fundamental issue for any semiotics that seeks not simply to explain how signs mirror our understanding but to address how signs actively create and shape it. In this context, Paolucci’s formulation - “the object of cognitive semiotics is the way in which semiotic systems represent the background of our perception of the world and define the conditions under which cognition and knowledge are possible” (p.VI, Preface) serves as a pivotal entry point for the argument that semiotics should be considered not as a passive reflection of reality but as an active constructor of cognitive possibilities. This perspective enables a nuanced dialogue with contemporary cognitive theories, emphasizing how semiotic scaffolding not only facilitates cultural distinctions but also enhances our capacity to interact with and transform the world we live in. In fact, this is a recurring theme throughout the book and involves rejecting the long-standing dichotomy between nature and culture that has structured semiotic investigation. This rejection of the classical threshold between nature and culture represents one of Paolucci’s most significant theoretical commitments and marks a major shift from the semiotic tradition. He associates semiotics not only with cultural systems (as in Eco’s earlier “logic of culture”) but with any system capable of enabling cognition. This perspective allows for Paolucci to unify continental semiotics—particularly the structuralist and Gremasian traditions—with the pragmatism of Charles S. Peirce, biosemiotics, and contemporary theories of embodied and distributed cognition
SOCIAL MINIMA AND THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME PROGRAM IN ROMANIA, 1995-2024
Get PDFThe present paper provides a qualitative historical analysis of the evolution of the Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI) program in Romania between 1995 and 2024 in relation to envisaged social minima. It argues that the transformations of GMI reflect the interplay between demand for cheap labour, regulations over precarious employment, and behavioural control for allegedly securing the “employability” of beneficiaries, with little (if any) concern for benefit adequacy. As elsewhere in Europe, labour market dualization was accompanied by the possibility to cumulate income from precarious labour with social assistance benefits. For the active-age recipients, GMI benefits did not replace market income and guarantee a social minimum, but rather they compensated for low income from casual work with some minimal social transfers and subsidies. Importantly, GMI included public health insurance, without charging beneficiaries. The decrease of GMI in real terms during the last two decades was accelerated by the effective decoupling of social assistance benefits from the national minimum wage and the long-term abandonment of a reference-budget for goods and services that could have served as a benchmark for both. When such a minimum basket was finally reintroduced in 2020 as a policy instrument for the annual indexation of the national minimum wage, social benefits were excluded from its scope. The reform of GMI, designed in 2016 but implemented only in 2024, slightly simplified the bureaucratic load and increased the threshold for social aid, but it did not substantively alter eligibility rules and mechanisms of behavioural control. To date, there has been no relation between the value of GMI and the computations of social minima
CYCLING IN CLUJ-NAPOCA: AN ACTOR-NETWORK ANALYSIS OF URBAN MOBILITY AND SPATIAL INEQUALITY
Get PDFThis study explores the dynamics of alternative urban mobility, with a focus on cycling, in the context of Cluj-Napoca. Our analysis, anchored in actor-network theory (ANT) and critical sociological literature, examines bicycle infrastructure not only as a physical support but also as a materialization of power relations and processes of social (de)legitimization. Through semi-structured interviews with users and experts, we investigate how fragmentation, spatial inequality, and compliance with existing car legislation influence the experiences of urban cyclists. We identify how certain interventions, such as green-blue corridors, can contribute to the reconfiguration of urban space and the promotion of more equitable and sustainable mobility. The article contributes to a nuanced understanding of the role of bicycle infrastructure as a terrain for negotiation between human and non-human agents, norms, daily practices, and authority, revealing the complexity of the dynamics between space, power, and identity in contemporary urban societies
ECUMENICAL ASPIRATIONS AND ORTHODOX RESISTANCE: UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC EFFORTS TOWARD DIALOGUE AT VATICAN II, 1959-1965
Get PDFThis article examines the efforts of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) to foster ecumenical dialogue and secure Orthodox participation at the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), focusing on the years 1959–1965. Despite sustained episcopal diplomacy, the UGCC’s aspirations for unity with Ukrainian Orthodoxy proved structurally impossible due to deep-seated historical and institutional resistance from Orthodox hierarchs. Key challenges included the Orthodox suspicions of the Council, the controversy over Moscow Patriarchate observers, and the eventual rejection of an invitation to send observers, even after the unauthorized visit of one hierarch, Archbishop Mstyslav Skrypnyk, underscored the internal divisions within Ukrainian Orthodoxy. The study reveals a profound asymmetry in ecclesial memory that prevented Greek Catholic calls for unity from taking root in Orthodox consciousness.
Article history: Received 25.11.2025; Revised 2.12.2025; Accepted 5.12.2025.Available online: 22.12.2025; Available print: 30.01.2026
The Timely Character of Dialogue: The Problem of Creation in Theology and Natural Sciences. The Synthesis of László Ravasz
Get PDFThis paper discusses the necessity of dialogue about the topic of creation between theology, philosophy, and natural sciences. I argue that philosophy has a bridge-building role between theology and natural sciences. I aim to show why the mediation of philosophy cannot be neglected and why a holistic approach is such an important theme, as creation is necessary. I shall also invoke the ideas of László Ravasz (1882–1975) and point out that the synthesis he argued for in his scientific papers is still useful today
“The Harmony of Faith and Knowledge”: Science as an Instrument of Religious Emancipation in Hungary in the 19th-20th Centuries
Get PDFThe experience of Hungarian Protestants during the Counter-Reformation was that their influential aristocratic supporters played a key role in their survival. Therefore, especially after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which ensured their equality of rights with Catholics, their churches instinctively sought to place their lay leaders to higher political and public offices, or vice versa, to recruit their lay and even church leaders from the ruling political elite, which created a close interdependence between the Reformed Church and the political establishment of the national liberal dualist era. Gaining positions in the political arena was also linked to gains in other areas of social life such as education, culture, and science. And vice versa: gaining influence in the fields of education, culture, and science also carried political weight and recognition and unconsciously reinforced the sense of social and legal security of the Hungarian Reformed. In our study, we present three mosaic pieces of the Hungarian Reformed connections to the academic world. The first one is an analysis of the growth of Reformed university professors between 1848 and 1945. The second is a presentation of the thought of a Reformed scholar, church leader, and public figure, István Bernát, on the relationship between religion and science. Lastly, the third one is a discourse of confessionalist church reformers following the First World War, on the founding of their own Reformed academy of sciences
TEOLOGIA IMAGO DEI LA AUGUSTIN ÎN CONTEXTUL DEZBATERII NICEENE
Get PDFAugustine’s Theology of the Imago Dei within the Context of the Nicene Debate. This article explores Augustine’s theology of the imago dei, his concept that Christ and the human person are considered “the image of God.” It highlights the scholarly insights of Gerald Boersma, who distinguishes Augustine’s views from those of earlier pro-Nicene Latin theologians, such as Hilary of Poitiers, Marius Victorinus, and Ambrose of Milan. This distinction is crucial for understanding the relationship between human and divine images. While earlier theologians often hesitated to connect Christ—the imago dei—with the human person, created ad imaginem dei (in the image of God), Augustine’s Neoplatonic influences allowed him to suggest varying degrees of likeness to an image. This perspective enabled him to confidently assert that both Christ and the human person are imago dei. A central theme in Augustine’s philosophy is that finite goods reflect God and should inspire rational beings to seek a return to Him. However, the fulfilment of human nature as a created image relies on the prior descent of the divine image, which restores the created image to its original state.
Cuvinte-cheie: imago dei, teologia imaginii, ad imagine dei, cristologii niceene, doctrina homoousios, imagine și asemănare, ascensiunea imaginii, omul interior, omul exterior, unitatea trup-suflet
O VIAȚĂ DEDICATĂ PASTORAȚIEI, TEOLOGIEI ȘI EDUCAȚIEI
Get PDFÎntâlnirea cu Pr. Mărtincă s-a concretizat în anul 1991, când m-am înscris la Facultatea de Teologie didactică. Împreună cu ceilalți colegi am pornit entuziasmați pe acest drum de formare teologică, dornici și însetați de a cunoaște tainele teologiei sau cum spunea un contemporan, să adunăm o ,,brumă de teologie”. La început au fost multe impedimente: lipsa unui spațiu stabil de învățare, probleme legate de tipărirea cursurilor, competența preoților formatori, cărora le lipsea abordarea pedagogică... Cu toate acestea, am reușit să terminăm formarea noastră de profesori, cu specialitatea teologie romano-catolică. Atunci când se întâlnea cu studenții, pr. prof. dr. Mărtincă Isidor avea mereu cuvinte de încurajare, disponibil în a asculta problemele pe care cineva le expunea, fire calmă și abilă în gestionarea situațiilor existente. Pentru pr. prof. dr. Mărtincă Isidor a existat preocuparea imediată, în ceea ce privește începutul învățământului teologic pentru laici, venit din perspectiva materialelor didactice și adaptarea lor la forma și fondul problemei. Multe cursuri au fost traduse din limba italiană, acolo, unde învățământul teologic pentru laici era în desfășurare de mai mult timp
LA CEAS DE AMINTIRE
Get PDFAcum, când privim în urmă, după mai bine de 80 de ani de viață și peste 30 de ani de activitate didactică universitară, mă unesc cu toți cei care l-au cunoscut îndeaproape, au colaborat sau au lucrat cu distinsul părinte și profesor universitar doctor Isidor Mărtincă, un om de o valoare incontestabilă, cu un vast orizont de cunoaștere teologică și drept canonic, spre a exprima infinita prețuire și apreciere pentru tezaurul uman, cultural, spiritual și academic pe care l-a oferit și l-a pus în slujba celorlalți. Se cuvine să menționez câteva aspecte ale vieții părintelui Isidor, o trecere în revistă a personalității complexe a sfinției sale, pentru a reînnoi aerul poluat de pseudo-valori cu exemple de viață adevărată și dedicată, așa cum a fost cea a părintelui Isidor Mărtincă, care a lăsat să transpară gândirea lui Dumnezeu ce stă la baza principiilor și valorilor perene. Părintele Isidor și-a început formarea umană, spirituală și universitară într-o perioadă delicată a națiunii noastre, când valorile religioase erau reprimate de către regimul comunist, care a guvernat câteva decenii bune pe scena vieții politice și sociale a României. Astfel, prin consecvență, prin rigoarea spirituală și academică, a reușit să-și desăvârșească studiile de specialitate în Teologie dogmatică și Drept canonic la Universitatea Lateran din Roma, Italia
METONYMISATION OF MEDICAL EPONYMS BASED ON PERSONAL NAMES AND THEIR METONYMIC PATTERNS IN ENGLISH CLINICAL TERMINOLOGY
Get PDFMetonymisation of Medical Eponyms Based on Personal Names and Their Metonymic Patterns in English Clinical Terminology. This paper presents insights into the metonymisation of medical eponyms based on a comprehensive overview of relevant literature. The article introduces a corpus-based study that analyses 25,787 medical eponyms derived from proper names extracted from articles, dictionaries, and specialised online resources. Given the established metonymic frameworks, this research investigates the characteristics of medical eponyms categorised as metonymic expressions through descriptive analysis. In our study, we considered eponymy as a subclass of metonymy, involving metonymic shifts where a name indirectly refers to a related medical concept. The specific features of a medical phenomenon are transferred from the object to a person who either discovered or is somehow associated with it. In this case, the proper name in an eponymous term does not provide access to biographical information but reveals the meaning of the medical phenomenon associated with a person. We also regard eponymy as a common form of metonymy that manifests in elliptic constructions, where the proper name is used without common nouns like disease, reflex, sign, etc. Metonymy is also considered from a cognitive standpoint in medical terminology, as it is used in reasoning to indicate how humans perceive medical objects. The information contained in eponyms gradually accumulates in the doctor\u27s mind. Such knowledge accumulation helps to elucidate the relationship between language and medicine, enriching not only theoretical linguistics but also medical practice and education. The deeper the knowledge, the more information is condensed within the eponymous term; i.e., the meaning of a medical eponym is revealed as it is studied and characterized by individual associative layers and identification descriptors, where the proper name serves as a trigger for understanding the information ingrained within it. The proper name picks out a unique entity from several similar ones and provides access to some specific information. A mental lexicon uses such names as a compact container for keeping a large amount of information that can be grained into particular categories. Such metonymic categories as PHYSICIAN FOR THE DISEASE, PATIENT FOR THE DISEASE, and PART-FOR-WHOLE METONYMY can be specified within medical terminology due to the associative relations between source and target. Such an associative relationship between eponyms and medical phenomena is based on knowledge and experience, which steadily extend and may convey complex concepts quickly. The cognitive framework of metonymy facilitates the structuring of conscious processes and potentially influences standardized medical nomenclature, which in turn enhances clarity in international communication.
REZUMAT. Metonimizarea eponimelor medicale bazate pe nume personale și modelele lor metonimice în terminologia clinică engleză. Acest articol prezintă perspective asupra metonimizării eponimelor medicale pe baza unei analize cuprinzătoare a literaturii relevante. Articolul introduce un studiu bazat pe corpus care analizează 25.787 de eponime medicale derivate din nume proprii extrase din articole, dicționare și resurse online specializate. Având în vedere cadrele metonimice stabilite, această cercetare investighează caracteristicile eponimelor medicale clasificate ca expresii metonimice prin intermediul unei analize descriptive. În studiul nostru, am considerat eponimia ca o subclasă a metonimiei, implicând schimbări metonimice în care un nume se referă indirect la un concept medical conex. Caracteristicile specifice ale unui fenomen medical sunt transferate de la obiect la o persoană care la descoperit sau care este asociată în vreun fel cu acesta. În acest caz, numele propriu dintr-un termen eponim nu oferă acces la informații biografice, ci dezvăluie semnificația fenomenului medical asociat cu o persoană. De asemenea, considerăm eponimia ca o formă comună de metonimie care se manifestă în construcții eliptice, în care numele propriu este utilizat fără substantive comune precum boală, reflex, semn etc. Metonimia este, de asemenea, considerată din punct de vedere cognitiv în terminologia medicală, deoarece este utilizată în raționament pentru a indica modul în care oamenii percep obiectele medicale. Informațiile conținute în eponime se acumulează treptat în mintea medicului. Această acumulare de cunoștințe ajută la elucidarea relației dintre limbă și medicină, îmbogățind nu numai lingvistica teoretică, ci și practica și educația medicală. Cu cât cunoștințele sunt mai aprofundate, cu atât mai multe informații sunt condensate în termenul eponim; adică, semnificația unui eponim medical este revelată pe măsură ce este studiat și caracterizat prin straturi asociative individuale și descriptori de identificare, unde numele propriu servește ca un declanșator pentru înțelegerea informațiilor înrădăcinate în el. Numele propriu selectează o entitate unică dintre mai multe entități similare și oferă acces la anumite informații specifice. Un lexic mental utilizează astfel de nume ca un container compact pentru păstrarea unei cantități mari de informații care pot fi împărțite în categorii specifice. Categorii metonimice precum MEDIC PENTRU BOALĂ, PACIENT PENTRU BOALĂ și METONIMIE PARTE-PENTRU-ÎNTREG pot fi specificate în terminologia medicală datorită relațiilor asociative dintre sursă și țintă. O astfel de relație asociativă între eponime și fenomene medicale se bazează pe cunoștințele și experiența utilizatorului, care se extind constant și pot transmite rapid concepte complexe. Natura cognitivă a metonimiei facilitează structurarea gândirii și raționamentului uman și poate influența nomenclatura medicală standardizată, ceea ce, la rândul său, sporește claritatea în comunicarea internațională.
Cuvinte-cheie: metonimie, termeni eponimi, eponim, nume proprii, modele metonimice.
Article history: Received 15 January 2025; Revised 04 July 2025; Accepted 12 August 2025; Available online 24 September 2025; Available print 30 September 202