Insights from 'Glas': A Grammatological Reading of Saussure

Setting the Stage: A Call for a Deconstructive Reading of Saussure

In "Glas," an experimental work by Derrida resembling a textual collage where typography assumes a central role, he engages with a specific passage of the Course and challenges Saussure's theory:

The glas fleshes [ acharne] a grammatological reading of Saussure, always, precisely, of that page of the Course that establishes linguistics in its patronage:”

("So signs, it can be said, that are wholly arbitrary realize better than the others the ideal of the semiological process [procede]; that is why language [langue], the most complex and universal of all systems of expression, is also the most characteristic; in this sense linguistics can become the general patron for all branches of semiology, although language is only one particular semiological system."). 

I have underlined although: the violent institution of the patronate. (Derrida, 1986).

Let's closely examine Derrida's consistently intriguing analysis and speculate on what he is trying to convey.

Derrida apparently considers this passage from Saussure in need of a grammatological or critical reading because it seemingly privileges language as the general patron for all branches of semiology, despite acknowledging that language is merely one particular semiological system among many.

By highlighting the word "although," Derrida draws attention to the hierarchical structure implied in Saussure's assertion, suggesting that it constitutes a "violent institution of the patronate" where language is elevated above other semiological systems. Derrida's grammatological approach seeks to deconstruct such hierarchical privileging and reveal the underlying power dynamics inherent in Saussure's text.

Contextualizing: A Tentative Answer from a Saussurean Viewpoint

Given that human communication encompasses various modalities such as vocalizations, gestures, and symbolic acts, there arises a need for a discipline to analyze these activities and unveil the governing system of conventions below the surface.

Saussure posited in his lectures and writings that language (la langue), primarily conceived as a system of signs, needed the framework of semiology for its accurate elucidation. This science, selon Saussure, rests on the premise that the meaning of human actions or expressions, understood as signs, must be contingent upon an underlying system of rules and conventions. In the case of language, this underlying structure is termed "la langue."

The rationale behind linguistics (la linguistique de la langue) serving as the general patron for semiology lies in the clarity with which language, unlike nonlinguistic signs whose arbitrariness may not be as overt, exhibits the arbitrary and conventional nature of signs. By adopting linguistics (de la langue) as a model, analysts are prompted to scrutinize other sign systems for their underlying rule-governed structures, akin to the linguistic system of "la langue." 

In the passage under examination, Derrida should have underlined the beginning of the text instead of the word although: 

...signs that are wholly arbitrary (linguistic signs) realize better than the others the ideal of the semiological process [CGL] [101]

Embracing linguistics (de la langue) as the general patron averts the fallacy of attributing intrinsic meaning to signs deemed natural by their users. By acknowledging the arbitrariness of signs, the analyst is compelled to explore the conventions underpinning them, thereby revealing the foundational system shaping their significance. This approach stands in stark contrast to assuming inherent meanings in signs, which would render semiology, the science of signs redundant. (Culler,1976)

Partial Conclusion: A Supplement

Saussure's proposition regarding language serving as the general patron for other semiological systems is underpinned by several key considerations. Firstly, the sheer number of signs within language, comprising thousands upon thousands of them, enables nuanced and precise communication across various contexts. Unlike other semiological systems with more limited sets of signs, language's extensive inventory facilitates its unparalleled expressive capacity.

Moreover, language epitomizes both relations in praesentia (syntagmatic) and absentia (paradigmatic). Studying these linguistic relations provides a framework for understanding how signs function within any semiological system.

Furthermore, it's crucial to consider the historical context in which Saussure developed his theories. When he addressed these issues, semiology (the study of signs) wasn't yet a developed field. There weren't established disciplines like structuralist anthropology studying rituals or literary criticism analyzing symbolism in tales (besides Saussure himself) that could offer alternative models. These fields emerged later with figures like Levi-Strauss and Barthes who built upon Saussure's ideas.

By synthesizing these factors, Saussure's argument for language's role as the general patron for semiology emerges as a logical and well-supported framework for understanding the complexities of sign systems and their underlying structures, "although it is only one particular semiological system."

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 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.

Derrida, Jacques. Glas. Translated by John P. Leavey, Jr., and Richard Rand. University of Nebraska Press, 1986.

Culler, Jonathan. 1976. SAUSSURE. Fontana/Collins