Place in Ontology
Text 12 introduces the operational concept of inscription. If Text 10 guaranteed that matter exists without us, and Text 11 guaranteed that matter organises itself without language, Text 12 explains how, from this organised matter, something like a "sign" can emerge.
The Specific Contribution
Genesis of the Symbolic
Explains the origin of the symbolic without resorting to "miracles" or "leaps". The symbolic arises from a specific material operation: the fixation of a difference on a support.
Brand Definition
Distinguishes "mark" (physical difference) from "sign" (inscribed difference). This distinction is key to avoiding confusing natural processes with cultural processes.
Inscription Materialism
He insists that there are no immaterial symbols. Every symbol needs a body (ink, sound, neuron, bit) to exist and operate.