Saussure's Philosophy Of Language And Relativism

This paper analyses some basic concepts of Saussure's linguistic philosophy. Saussure makes the distinction between langue and parole; the signifier and the signified; synchronic study and diachronic study. Langue is a system that is made up of form, and the parole is the things that we. actually say. Signifier is what we use to represent while signified is what is represented. From Saussure's point of view, the signifier is a sound image and the signified is a concept. Synchronic-study studies a language in a certain situation without time consideration. Diachronic-study studies the historical change of a language. The idea that concepts are relative is the cornerstone for structuralism, which understands the world as a system of various relations. The meaning of a concept can only be determined in the structure.I intend to show in this paper that a certain type of relativism is the natural conclusion of structuralism. This type of relativism seeks certainty, but is opposed to an unconditional certainty. This paper also reveals some limitations in Saussure's thought and attempts,an answer of my own to the problems left by Saussure.