Social origins of risk semiotics

Abstract

The article examines the structure of the inter-relationship between society and its inherent risks, the main components of which are society’s accumulated experience in predicting and mitigating risks, the continuous complication of modern society and the new social risks it generates. The reasons for the formation of these components, the positive and negative results of their use by society are analyzed. The reactions of managers and scientists to existing social risks are described. The main difference between these reactions is the diametrically opposite attitude of managers and scientists to the phenomenon of reductionism in solving complex social problems. The article defines the role of interdisciplinary research areas (synergetics, systemology, the combined social analysis, science of science, etc.) in solving problems related to social risks. The proposed by A. G. Teslinov’s classification of existing worlds (the material world, the world of ideas, the social world and the world of signs) correlates with traditional disciplinary classifications. The place of a new scientific direction (risk semiotics) in the system of existing risk sciences, as well as among other artificial semiotics is established. The conclusion about the need for interrelated development of social semiotics and risk semiotics is substantiated.