关于镜像是否是符号的论辩已逾卅载。镜像不仅是一种符号,还是物符号和心灵符号之间的分界点。在镜像阶段,镜像对主体的自我建构与语言等符号所起的作用一样,只是其具体功能有所不同,主体在对镜像的试错与比较中认识自我。符号自我包含“客我”“主我”和“你”三者,它们之间会形成对话关系,因而在镜像阶段之后,镜像符号对自我的建构方式,可以根据发送意图分为指向“客我”、指向“你”和指向“他者”三种。不同的自我建构方式,表现出镜像符号的不同功能。
Researches have long discussed the question of whether a mirror image is a sign. A consensus has been reached that a mirror image is not only a sign, but also distinguishes matter-sign and mental-sign. In the mirror stage, although the subject knows himself through trial and error as well as comparison and contrast, the mirror-image sign works alongside other signs such as language to construct the self. As the semiotic self-comprises "I ", "me ", and enters into dialogue the mirror image constructs the self in three ways after the mirror stage: sending intention to me, sending intention to you, and sending intention to the other. These different methods of sell:construction reflect different functions of mirror-image signs.