Return to Saussure

Introduction In our previous article, The Cognitive Architecture of Signs: Al-Mutairi, Chomsky, and Saussure in Dialogue , we examined two influential theories regarding the cognitive mechanisms underlying language. Ferdinand de Saussure proposed that spoken language, along with other symbolic systems, is governed by a unified cognitive faculty capable of processing diverse sign systems. Noam Chomsky, by contrast, advocated for a modular approach, emphasizing specialized faculties, particularly the syntactic operation known as Merge, which distinguishes spoken language from other symbolic systems. In this follow-up, we introduce Roman Jakobson’s groundbreaking work on aphasia, which offers key insights into how cognitive impairments affect symbolic processes. By revisiting symbol processing through the lens of aphasia, Jakobson’s findings serve as a bridge between Saussure’s unified cognitive model and Chomsky’s modular framework, allowing us to reassess how language disorder...

Introduction The nature of human cognition raises the question of whether a unified cognitive faculty governs various systems of signs, including spoken language, writing, mathematics, sign language, etc. This inquiry challenges us to reconsider how different symbolic systems might be interconnected through a shared cognitive architecture. Noam Chomsky argues from a biolinguistic perspective that language is a specialized, innate cognitive faculty centered on syntax and the Merge operation. He views language as distinct from other symbolic systems, focusing primarily on spoken communication. On the other hand, Ferdinand de Saussure offers a broader perspective, emphasizing that language encompasses more than speech, extending to a general capacity for creating systems of signs. He argues that the essence of language lies in its abstract structure, independent of sensory modality, reflecting a unified cognitive faculty. Building on this idea, Fahad Rashed Al-Mutairi explores...