Although Ferdinand de Saussure is seen to be fundamental to the development of modern linguistics, one of his key concepts, the arbitrary nature of language, is largely debated.
The aim of this text is to consider the arbitrary nature of language and prove the viewpoint proposed by Saussure that arbitrariness is indeed the first principle of linguistic sign. Duan does this by defining arbitrariness, discussing its counter evidence and the prerequisites, and examining the theory in context of other concepts presented by Saussure. The article focuses on many of Saussure’s ideas and how they link together to prove that language is arbitrary, finally concluding that the concept of language and the linguistic sign being arbitrary is fundamental to linguistics, providing the foundation for other Saussurean ideas. The text provides a good overview of arbitrariness and the use of many examples help the reader gain a greater understanding of the concepts discussed. This makes it an appropriate text to introduce readers to linguistic theories. However, the scope is fairly narrow as the auth...
Reviving the crumbling Saint-Domingue economy was a crucial determining factor in France’s involvement with the colony. Toussaint’s ability to create a thriving economy would determine his position as a leader. If he was unable to create a stable economy, then there was someone else that could replace him. This revival was key to slavery not being re-imposed in the colony. Toussaint L’Ouverture had to prove that the Saint Domingue colony could succeed and be profitable within a slaveless economy. As much as he could comprehend the morality of ending slavery, he was also very aware of the importance slavery had to the West Indies in maintaining France’s economy. Although there are some arguments that state that slavery’s importance to their
First, a brief background in the three dimensions of language discussed throughout this paper. The functional, semantic, or thematic dimensions of language as previously mentioned are often used in parallel with each other. Due, to this fact it is important to be able to identify them as they take place and differentiate between these dimensions i...
All languages could be successfully analyzed in terms of mathematical equations. In this sense, language is mathematics. This thesis enables us to explain why languages usually have different word orders, and why any language could be highly flexible.
Dorothy Molloy is well known for the dark, ironic humour in her poetry. Les Grands Seigneurs explores the irony of romantic relationships in a woman's youth. She heavily outlines that once a woman is married she loses her power and independence and eventually becomes a "mere 'toy' a plaything 'only a bit of fluff'. The portrayal of women in this poem is the exact opposite of how the Landlady is portrayed in Rolad Dahl's short story. While Rolad Dahl describes the "Landlady" as cunning and even malicious at time , Dorothy Molloy portrays the heroine as a 'damsel in distress' thus further reinforcing the stereotype of portrayal of women in modern literature.
ABSTRACT: Indeterminacy theories, such as Wittgenstein's and Kripke's indeterminacy principle on rules and language and Quine's indeterminacy of radical translation, raise some fundamental questions on our knowledge and understanding. In this paper we try to outline and interpret Wittgenstein's and Kripke's indeterminacy, and then compare it to some other related theories on indeterminacy of human thinking, such as raised by Hume, Quine, and Goodman.
ABSTRACT: In what follows, I give (following Burton Dreben) a dialectical reading of his dismissal of metaphysics and of Wittgenstein's objections to Russell in 1913. I argue that Wittgenstein must be read as advocating no particular theory or doctrine — that is, philosophy is an activity and not a body of truths. Furthermore, this insistence is thoroughgoing. Put differently, a dialectical reading must be applied to one's own thought and talk. Characteristically, this sort of dialectical philosophy begins with the question, Is there any definiteness to what I am doing in my own thinking and speaking? Such a question undercuts the easy assumption that what we are doing may be expressed in a body of meaningful statements. In particular, I argue that Wittgenstein does not advocate any particular theory of language. A common reading of Wittgenstein is that he aims to prevent us from misusing language. This view assumes that, for Wittgenstein, the notion of a correct, acceptable or meaningful use of language may be taken for granted. In my view, Wittgenstein does not take the notions of use of language and grammar and its misuse for granted. For Wittgenstein grammar underdetermines what it is to use or misuse language. I argue that an ethical critique is implicit in Wittgenstein's objections to any attempt to speak a priori about language and thought.
Realism and conventionalism are commonly taken to be the primary contenders in the debate over universals. Does abstract language refer to abstract things in the world? The realist answers yes, leaving us with an inflated ontology, the conventionalist answers no, leaving us with subjective categories. In this paper I would like to defend a third possibility which aims to preserve objectivity without multiplying objects. It is nominalism, in the original, medieval sense of the word — or more specifically, in the Ockham sense of the word.
It turns out that one of the most helpful areas for studying linguistic relativity is that of th...
Bataille suggests the use of cultural theory to attack and analyse language. Therefore, the characteristic theme
Some kinds of utterances which have an indicative grammatical form seem, for different reasons, to be unable to say something true of the world. Logical contradictions are only the prime example of something the author baptizes impossible descriptions. So-called performative contradictions (e.g., "I do not exist") make up another kind, but there are at least two more such kinds: negating affirmations and performatives which cannot be explained within the philosophy of language. Only philosophical anthropology can explain their feature of "impossibleness," and a distinction between unreflective and reflective consciousness is central to the explanation. Particularly important here is G. H. Mead's distinction between two aspects of the self: the "I" and the "me." Each of the four kinds of impossible descriptions distinguished has its own contrary opposite. These are, in turn, logical tautologies, performative tautologies, affirming negations, and omissive performatives. The last three types as types have not received the philosophical recognition that they deserve. All four fit a general characterization which is given as a definition of the concept of superfluous description.
The question of the origin of names has been discussed and debated for centuries as is evident in Cratylus and is made prevalent during the creation of various sign languages around the world. Sign language in the grand scheme of the origins of language is fairly new as it is only about 500 years old, whereas the believed origin of English began somewhere in the 5th century (Brentari 2016). Signing raises the question of whether or not sign language, and language in general, is based on iconicity or arbitrariness. However, sign language is a mixture of iconic and arbitrary signing. Iconic sign language is drawn from the visual world while longer clauses and more abstract ideas must be given arbitrary signs. In accordance with Cratylus, the origin of names is
Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus evolved as a continuation of and reaction to Bertrand Russell and G Frege’s conceptions of logic, which Russell has left unexplained. Wittgenstein developed a theory of language that was designed to explain the nature of logical necessity. For Wittgenstein, a factual proposition is true or false with no third alternative. He endorses a ‘picture’ theory of meaning: propositions are meaningful insofar as they ‘picture’ facts or states of affairs: if their structure mirrors the structure of the world. The book addresses the central problems of philosophy which deals with the world, language and thought, and proposes a solution to these problems which is grounded in logic and in the nature of representation. Language, thought and reality share a common logical structure, so understanding the structure of the language allows u...
Chomsky, N. (2000). Knowledge of language: Its mature, origin and use. In R. J. Stainton (Ed.), Perspectives in the philosophy of language: A concise anthology (pp. 3-44). Peterborough: Broadview Press.
Semiotics, known as the science of signification, was first originated by Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Sanders Peirce. This paper will implement the semiotics analysis and introduce the theory of semiotics and review the history generally. Semiotics is the interpretation of meaning, based on the Saussure’s approach of semiology; he was mainly focused on the structure on linguistics, while Peirce was more concentrate on the logical dimensions of the science. In general, semiotic is a study of signs.
Grice, H. P. (1975). Logic and Conversation. In A. P. Martinich (Ed.). The Philosophy of Language (pp. 171-181). New York: Oxford University Press.