The Links in the Chain of Meaning: Charting the “Sign Convolution”

Introduction:

Aristotle's teleological argument posits that everything in nature serves a purpose or an end. From the legs designed for walking to the eyes crafted for seeing, the natural world is imbued with intrinsic functions. However, when it comes to the vocal apparatus, the teleological perspective encounters a debate among linguists regarding its supposed natural telos. Unlike the unequivocal functions of other bodily organs, the inquiry into whether the vocal apparatus is inherently designed for speech remains contentious.

In the discourse elucidated within the framework of the Cours de Linguistique Générale, this debate on the innate function of the organs of speech unfolds. While some linguists align with the teleological view, others, such as Whitney, suggest that it may be a product of chance or convenience. Amidst these diverse viewpoints, Saussure posits the following question: Is spoken language an entirely natural phenomenon, or should we consider the existence of deeper underlying faculties?

He follows diverse lines of inquiry, and all seem to point to the same conclusion: language in general is ultimately governed by a fundamental linguistic faculty, which he terms 'la langue.' Let's explore this concept further to understand its implications.

How natural is spoken language?

Saussure begins his inquiry by introducing two concepts: 'language' (le langage) and 'linguistic structure' (la langue)."

· "Language" (le langage) refers to the entirety of human communication, encompassing physical, physiological, and psychological aspects. It's both individual and societal, lacking unity.

· "Linguistic structure" (la langue), however, is a structured system, self-contained and serving as a principle of classification.

Following this, he acknowledges that some critics may argue that our natural faculty for language (le langage) should take precedence over the conventional nature of linguistic structure (la langue). However, he points out that there is disagreement among linguists on the matter. Whitney, for instance, suggests that language could have manifested through gestures rather than speech.

While the selection of the vocal apparatus for language may have been somewhat imposed by nature, Saussure agrees with Whitney's essential point: language (la langue) is fundamentally a convention, regardless of the form of agreed-upon signs. Thus, the nature of the vocal apparatus is secondary in the context of the language (le langage) problem.

Gegliederte Sprache: Divisions in the Chain of Meaning

Having established, firstly, that the function of language (le langage) as expressed in speech might not be entirely natural, and secondly, that language (la langue) is a convention, irrespective of the form of agreed-upon signs, Saussure brings into the debate the concept of 'articulation'.

The term "articulation" derives from Latin, where "articulus" means 'member, part, subdivision in a sequence of things.' In the context of language, he explains, articulation can refer to dividing the chain of speech into syllables or the chain of meanings into meaningful units and observes that this notion is reflected in German as "gegliederte Sprache."

Linguistic structure (la langue) might be described as the domain of articulations. Every linguistic sign is a part or member, an articulus, where an idea is fixed in a sound, and a sound becomes the sign of an idea. [CGL] [156]

From this perspective, he concludes that it's not spoken language (le langage parlé) that's natural to humans, but rather the capacity to construct a language (la langue), which entails a system of distinct signs corresponding to distinct ideas.

The Sign Convolution: La Langue as Condition of Possibility of Signs in General

Finally, he incorporates into the analysis the latest discovery from neurophysiology at the time: Broca's discovery of the localization of the speech faculty in the brain's left hemisphere, historically supporting the notion of language as an inherent human capability.

However, this localization extends to other language-related functions, including writing. Evidence from various forms of aphasia shows that disorders affecting spoken language are interconnected with those affecting written language. The insight is that these disorders impair the ability to produce signs corresponding to normal language, regardless of expression mode. 

 …in all cases of aphasia or agraphia what is affected is not so much the ability to utter or inscribe this or that, but the ability to produce in any given mode signs corresponding to normal language. [CGL] [27]

Saussure determines that beyond the mere functioning of organs, there exists a more general faculty governing signs, which he terms the "linguistic faculty par excellence." This suggests that regardless of the mode of expression (speech or writing), there is a deeper, underlying linguistic ability that governs our capacity to generate signs consistent with language norms. Thus, despite different lines of inquiry, Saussure arrives at the same conclusion: language is governed by a fundamental linguistic faculty, comparable to Kant's concept of the 'condition of possibility'.

What may make people think that the faculty of articulated language is natural is the disposition of our vocal apparatus. Broca's discovery: the language faculty localized in the third left frontal convolution of the brain; but this same convolution governs disorders and the normal exercise of the faculty of writing. <So it would seem more generally to be the convolution of signs.> <(In the end, linguistics may well be just the science of signs.)> d'après les cahiers d'Emile Constantin, Notebook VII 67a (R. Harris, Trans.) 1993

The line of arguments presented by Saussure here lead him to the conclusion that language (langage) is ultimately a mode of a more fundamental natural power, 'la langue'. This revelation is going to set the stage for his criticism of the nomenclaturist conception of language (which will be explored further in the next piece) and the proposal of a new science: semiology.

It is therefore possible to conceive of a science which studies the role of signs as part of social life. It would form part of social psychology, and hence of general psychology. We shall call it semiology (from the Greek sēmeîon, ‘sign’). It would investigate the nature of signs and the laws governing them. [CGL] [33]

 

Related Posts from this Blog:

 Kant, Saussure, and Derrida: Exploring the Interplay of Language

https://derridaforlinguists.blogspot.com/2023/09/blog-post_14.html

 The Birth of Semiology: Saussure's Impact on Linguistics

https://derridaforlinguists.blogspot.com/2023/09/blog-post_29.html

Bridging Perspectives: Saussure and Derrida on Speech and Writing

https://derridaforlinguists.blogspot.com/2024/01/blog-post_07.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.

Saussure, F. (1910-1911). Troisième cours de linguistique générale: d'après les cahiers d'Emile Constantin [Saussure's Third Course of Lectures on General Linguistics: From the Notebooks of Emile Constantin]. (R. Harris, Trans.) University of Oxford.1993