Contribution Quote by Ferdinand de Saussure

The critical method which denies literary modernity would appear -- and even, in certain respects, would be -- the most modern of critical movements.

— Paul de Man

One of the most important revelations about a period comes in its theory of language, for that informs us whether language is viewed as…

— Richard M. Weaver

“The entire destiny of modern linguistics is in fact determined by Saussure's inaugural act through which he separates the ‘external’ elements of linguistics from…

— Pierre Bourdieu

The first of these phases is that of grammar, invented by the Greeks and carried on unchanged by the French. It never had any…

— Ferdinand de Saussure

Initial work is on period research where the historical markers are absolutely non-negotiable. Once that is established, a writer can take creative liberties in…

— Ashwin Sanghi

“Linguistics is arguably the most hotly contested property in the academic realm. It is soaked with the blood of poets, theologians, philosophers, philologists, psychologists,…

— Russ Rymer

It is useful to the historian, among others, to be able to see the commonest forms of different phenomena, whether phonetic, morphological or other,…

— Ferdinand de Saussure

“Philosophers can never hope finally to formulate these metaphysical first principles. Weakness of insight and deficiencies of language stand in the way inexorably. Words…

— Alfred North Whitehead

What was needed was a literary theory which, while preserving the formalist bent of New Criticism, its dogged attention to literature as aesthetic object…

— Terry Eagleton

Language corresponds only to itself. Intellectuals suffer from that. And once you begin to question language, you cannot stop at studying linguistics. Analytical philosophy…

— Martin Walser

When I was a college student and I got interested in linguistics the concern among students was, this is a lot of fun, but…

— Noam Chomsky

“Language is evidently one of the principle instruments or helps of thought; and any imperfection in the instrument, or in the mode of employing…

— John Stuart Mill