The Protean Nature of Language: An Elusive Quest for Unity

 Luna

In a serene lake, there lived a magical creature named Luna, whose beauty rivaled the moonlight on a clear night. Her hair flowed like golden river currents and her laughter echoed like the song of a nightingale.

One day, a curious boy named Leo ventured into the forest and discovered the lake where Luna dwelled. Fascinated by the shimmering creature, Leo decided to approach her to speak. But every time he tried to get closer, Luna would change shape: first she transformed into a majestic swan, then into a bright flower, and then into a crystal-clear waterfall.

Determined to befriend Luna, Leo persisted in his attempts. With each transformation, instead of dismay, he smiled and marveled the beauty of the creature. Eventually, Luna, impressed by Leo's patience and kindness, revealed her true form—a beautiful nymph with eyes the color of the sky and wings as transparent as pure water.

From that day on, Leo and Luna became inseparable friends. Together, they explored the forest and shared adventures. And although Luna remained as changeable as the waters of the lake, Leo learned that the true magic lay in appreciating beauty in all its forms, no matter how elusive they might be.

The Protean Nature of Language: An Elusive Quest for Unity

The quest for the 'one,' as contemplated by philosophers such as Leibniz and Plotinus, becomes central to Western philosophy. Both thinkers explored the notion of fundamental unity in the universe, which, in terms of Leibniz, refers to "monads," and in the case of Plotinus, manifests as the concept of the "One." Several philosophers have approached this idea from various angles, but in the case of language, this pursuit reveals an intrinsic complexity that challenges reductionist attempts:

Whichever viewpoint is adopted, linguistic phenomena always present two complementary facets, each depending on the other [CGL] [23].

 It's important to note here that, first, there are diverse perspectives, and, second, once you choose one, it also unfolds like light through a prism. For example, Saussure points out that language exhibits multidimensional complexity, with physiological, psychological, social, historical and other aspects. Any attempt to reduce it to a simple entity proves elusive. When analyzing the linguistic sign, it initially appears as a concrete unit, but scrutiny reveals it decomposes into different components, similar to the phenomenon of “dispersion” in optics:

Suppose someone pronounces the French word nu (‘naked’). At first sight, one might think this would be an example of an independently given linguistic object. But more careful consideration reveals a series of three or four quite different things, depending on the viewpoint adopted. There is a sound, there is the expression of an idea, there is a derivative of Latin nūdum, and so on [CGL] [23].

But duality in language is omnipresent and is not limited solely to the distinction between sound (signifiant) and idea (signifié), as might be superficially assumed. It is also observable in the duality between “vocal phenomenon as such/ Phénomène vocal comme tel” and “vocal phenomenon as a sign/ Phénomène vocal comme signe” (Bouquet & Engler, 2002). Let's try to explain this.  

From an acoustic perspective, articulated syllables are impressions perceived by the ear, but sounds would not exist without vocal organs. This implies that a consonant or a word only exists due to the interaction between sound and vocal articulation. Conversely, the movements of the vocal organs cannot be defined without considering the acoustic impression. Therefore, language cannot be reduced to sound nor can sound be separated from the action of the vocal organs.

Saussure thus criticizes the simplistic view that separates sound and meaning into exclusively physical or objective versus mental or subjective terms and proposes a more nuanced understanding, where vocal phenomena are recognized to have not only a physical, objective dimension but also a physical-mental, subjective one when considered in their own right:

The ear perceives articulated syllables as auditory impressions. But the sounds in question would not exist without the vocal organs. There would be no n, for instance, without these two complementary aspects to it. So one cannot equate the language simply with what the ear hears. One cannot divorce what is heard from oral articulation. Nor, on the other hand, can one specify the relevant movements of the vocal organs without reference to the corresponding auditory impression [CGL] [24].

This phenomenon constantly replicates at any linguistic level. The result is always the same, the linguist cannot reduce or simplify language into a single entity, akin to the concepts of Leibniz or Plotinus:

Language has an individual aspect and a social aspect. One is not conceivable without the other. Furthermore: Language at any given time involves an established system and an evolution. At any given time, it is an institution in the present and a product of the past. At first sight, it looks very easy to distinguish between the system and its history, between what it is and what it was. In reality, the connexion between the two is so close that it is hard to separate them [CGL] [23].

In conclusion, the quest for "unity" in linguistics appears elusive, much like chasing Proteus, who, possessing knowledge of all things, resisted capture by constantly shifting shapes. Similarly, language defies rigid definition or full comprehension, continuously unfolding and morphing as we attempt to grasp its essence.

Related Posts:

 The making of the Course in General Linguistics: Behind the scenes

https://derridaforlinguists.blogspot.com/2023/10/blog-post_423.html

Two Aspects of "The Object of Study": Internal and External Linguistics

https://derridaforlinguists.blogspot.com/2023/09/blog-post_462.html

Bibliography

Saussure, Ferdinand de. 1916. Cours de linguistique générale. Edited by Charles Bally and Albert Sechehaye, with Albert Riedlinger. Libraire Payot.

Saussure, Ferdinand de. "Course in General Linguistics." Translated and annotated by Roy Harris. With a new introduction by Roy Harris. Bloomsbury, 2013.

Ferdinand de Saussure. Ecrits de linguistique générale, edited by Simon Bouquet and Rudolf Engler, Gallimard, 2002.

Peter Adamson, Classical Philosophy: A History of Philosophy without Any Gaps, Volume 2 (Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, OX2 6DP, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2014).

Belaval, Y. and Look, Brandon C. "Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz." Encyclopedia Britannica, March 21, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gottfried-Wilhelm-Leibniz.

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "monad." Encyclopedia Britannica, November 25, 2007. https://www.britannica.com/topic/monad.