A Comparative Study Of Arbitrariness Between Locke And De Saussure

Many contemporary scholars had done much work in linguistic analysis of arbitrariness. However, arbitrariness is more a philosophical matter than a linguistic one. Locke, the British philosopher in the17th century, and de Saussure, titled as "the father of modern linguistics", had made the exploration on the arbitrariness of language. Both of them are extolled as turn points in philosophical and linguistic domain. The former, based on empiricism, discussed the arbitrariness from the perspective of the relationship between language, ideas and reality, while the latter, viewing language as a whole, considered the arbitrary relationship between signifier and signified as the first principle of linguistic sign. Both Locke and de Saussure are instrumental in the assessment of arbitrariness of language. This dissertation intends to make a comparative study of Lockean and de Saussurean opinions on arbitrariness, and the arguments discussed all purport to explore and answer following questions. What are the similarities and differences between Locke and de Saussure on arbitrariness? Is de Saussure the successor and developer of Locke? If so, in what ways does Locke influence de Saussure? What are the contributions of Locke and de Saussure to linguistics?Based on the researching background of arbitrariness both abroad and in China, the study firstly discusses the relevant concepts of linguistic theory of Locke, including ideas, private language, voluntariness, and these of de Saussure, consisting of signifier and signified, value and relative arbitrariness. Then the differences and similarities between them on arbitrariness are explained in detail. Moreover, the body of the dissertation comprises the exposition and criticism of such sample members as Zhang Shaojie, Aarsleff and so forth. It is the primary assertion of the study that the different linguistic views between Locke who focuses on the interaction between language and external world, and de Saussure who views language system as a whole intrinsically, are interrelated to their distinct philosophical foundations, and the interpretation of language essentially lies in the disclosure of the internal and external factors in language.