Semiology is the science of signs and symbols, and their role in culture and society. Writing Degree Zero is Barthes' introduction to his field of study, the basic definitions required in the analysis of speech, language, writing and style, delivered with a poet's insight from one of France's most famous literary critics .

In Elements of Semiology Barthes presented a concise scientific definition of Saussurean linguistics and their aftermath. Published in 1967, this is a key text in the study of 'structuralism', which at that time was a relatively new critical movement rapidly gaining an international following.