The meaning and madness of money: A Semio-ecological analysis

Abstract In this paper, I propose an overall model of the semantic and semiotic functions of money and capital forms based on an ecological view of human activity and a theory of the origin of money (coined precious metals). The meaning of money is replaced in a structured human perspective and a critical discussion is outlined on the grounds of the material and capital flows and functions identified. The madness of money follows from the separation of economy and ecology. That madness causes serious damage, especially under certain circumstances that the structural analysis can identify. Finally, I add some new considerations on the psycho-semiotic implications of the analysis. The societal structure discussed can be interpreted in terms that have strikingly direct correspondence to those describing semiotic aspects of language and the human psyché where the concepts of meaning and madness are immediately pertinent.