« Ceci n’est pas un traité ». Umberto Eco parmi les manuels de sémiotique

What is a Trattato? What are its textual forms? And what are its communicative purposes? Although there are many books in the world that introduce semiotics, Eco’s Trattato di semiotica generale is the only one that uses, in his title, this philosophical term. Analyzing the Preface to the book, it is clear that the Trattato might actually serve as a theoretical essay. Analyzing instead its argumentative structure, we realize that the general tone of the book is narrative.