A linguistic system is a series of differences of sound combined with a series of differences of ideas...
Ferdinand De SaussureRead
The very special place that a language occupies among institutions is undeniable, but there is much more to be said-, a comparison would tend rather to bring out the differences.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Language holds a unique position among institutions, and understanding it requires recognizing its distinct qualities.
Ferdinand De Saussure highlights the significance of language within the framework of societal institutions. He suggests that while it is essential to acknowledge the special role language plays, a deeper analysis should focus on its uniqueness and the complexities that distinguish it from other institutions, implying that language is a foundation for understanding human communication and social interaction.
Themes
LanguageInstitutionsCommunicationSocietyPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture about the role of language in education, one could quote Saussure to emphasize the importance of understanding language beyond mere words.
More from Ferdinand De Saussure
All quotes βLinguistics will have to recognise laws operating universally in language, and in a strictly rational manner, separating general phenomena from those restricted to one branch of languages or another.
Ferdinand De SaussureRead
Psychologically our thought-apart from its expression in words-is only a shapeless and indistinct mass.
Ferdinand De SaussureRead
Any psychology of sign systems will be part of social psychology - that is to say, will be exclusively social; it will involve the same psychology as is applicable in the case of languages.
Ferdinand De SaussureRead
Written forms obscure our view of language. They are not so much a garment as a disguise.
Ferdinand De SaussureRead
Speech has both an individual and a social side, and we cannot conceive of one without the other.
Ferdinand De SaussureRead
Similar quotes
I believe that at this point in history, the greatest danger to our freedom and way of life comes from the reasonable fear of omniscient State powers kept in check by nothing more than policy documents.
Edward SnowdenRead
Misguided people sometimes create misguided ideas. Some of my ancestors were Oromo. How can I colonize myself?
Haile SelassieRead
Traffic congestion is caused by vehicles, not by people in themselves.
Jane JacobsRead
Did Buddha teach that the many was real and the ego unreal, while orthodox Hinduism regards the One as the real, and the many as unreal?" the Swami was asked. "Yes", answered the Swami. "And what Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and I have added to this is, that the Many and the One are the same Reality, perceived by the same mind at different times and in different attitudes.
Swami VivekanandaRead
The tectonic layers of our lives rest so tightly one on top of the other that we always come up against earlier events in later ones, not as matter that has been fully formed and pushed aside, but absolutely present and alive. I understand this. Nonetheless, I sometimes find it hard to bear.
Bernhard SchlinkRead
The idea that murder victims' families are best served by continuing the cycle of violence is something that I consider to be not only a lie, but criminally negligent. You lie to victims' families when you tell them they're going to receive closure if they participate in the process and witness the execution of a human being.
Steve EarleRead