Return to Saussure

  Introduction Jane Austen's opening line from "Pride and Prejudice," and Ferdinand de Saussure's introductory statement to his lecture on Absolute and Relative Arbitrariness in language both act as tantalizing invitations to explore deeper into their respective realms of literature and linguistic theory. Austen's immortal line, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife," serves as a masterstroke of literary craftsmanship, encapsulating the essence of societal norms and individual desires within a single sentence. Similarly, Saussure's assertion "I have taken it as an obvious truth, that the link between the sign and the idea represented , is radically arbitrary " serves as a thought-provoking entry point into the complexities of his linguistic theory. This article examines how these opening statements not only captivate readers but also pave the way for profoun...

  L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux : On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur . Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Introduction The concept of the "invisible letter" in computer science introduces a fascinating dimension to our understanding of textual data processing. These characters, though devoid of visual representation when displayed or printed, wield significant influence over the structure and formatting of text. Despite their imperceptibility to the naked eye, these characters challenge conventional notions of presence and being, particularly within the context of Western philosophy. In philosophical discourse, "presence" typically connotes observable existence; however, the presence of these invisible characters underscores the importance of the unseen aspects in shaping meaning and structure. This confrontation with metaphysical assumptions regarding existence and significance prompts a reevaluation of the nature of presence and being, extending the dis...