Signifying Umwelts

This chapter is dedicated to the notion of Umwelt. Jakob von Uexküll’s theoretical biology which focuses on the fit between the species and their corresponding functional parts of their full environments is the starting framework for this conceptualization. Umwelt is designated by Uexküll to refer to the functional sub-part of the organism’s environment. It is thus reciprocally mutually linked with the environment of the organism as the domain where experiencing takes place. Agency of experiencing is located in the organism. Umwelt extends outward from the Subject into the environment—for each organism, the Subject whose Umwelt is being constructed. At the level of the species, it is based on the Bauplan of the species. At the same time, the creation of the individual Umwelt depends on the ongoing interchange with the environment. Different models of Umwelt are described, and the act of semiosis is located in their structure.