THE DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE

MODERNISM• In the early 20° century many Victorian doubts and fears about

society and man’s place in the universe were confirmed and many optimistic hopes were disappointed.

• Science and industry not produce a better world• European selfconfidence destroyed U.S.A. and Russia replaced

France and Britain• Economic depression goverments control state economy

Welfare State• Marx The Communist Manifesto optimistic secure view of the

future

• The only sure point of references of any individual was himself.

• Man feels out of palce without divine principles and reference point.

• The only sure point of references of any individual was himself.

• Albert Einstein theory of relativity space and time did not exist as separate

• Henri Bergson rejected conventional ideas of time

• Sigmund Freud people’s behaviour depends very largely on the unconscious part of their minds.

• Carl Jung symbolic meanings

FERDINAND DE SAUSSURE (1857-1913)

• Cours de Linguistique generale basis of structuralism and semiotics

• Nothing authoritative about Saussure’ s theory

• He developed a theory of synchronic language the spoken word (signifier) and object (signified) is arbitrary language semiotic system

• Meaning relantionship between signs constructed trhough difference, binary pairs

THE SIGN• For Saussure sign is the basic element of language

• Charles Sanders Peirce isolated 3 different types of signs:1. The symbolic sign word symbolises its referent 2. The indexical sign signpost pointing in a certain direction 3. The iconic sign it resembles its object but like a picture

• The sign contains both its signifying element and its meaninguìful content.

• Signifier sensible part of a verbal sign• Signified interpretation added to the signifier• No relantioship between signifier/signified it is arbitrary

• Before Saussure Diachronic linguistic charting changes through time.

• Saussure invented synchronic linguistic language system based on signs

«A language is a system of differences with no positive terms»

STRUCTURALISM• Structuralism wide range of discourses that study

structures of signification• Map the cultures scientifically through a structuralist

methodology

• ROLAND BARTHES: - proclaimed the death of the author

- is relatively unimportant to the process of writing.

• JACQUES DERRIDA : - used Saussune’s insights to develop Deconstruction

- he focused on the binary pairs.

• Meaning is developed by the term differance• Subjectivity and presance• Privileging of speech and presence

logocentirsm

POSTSTRUCTURALISM

• Poststructuralism meaning is costantely slipping from one sign to the next

• Signifies do not produce signified endless chain of signifies

• LACAN :Applied Seassure’s ideas to psychoanalysis his theory is not antology

Distinction between metaphor and metonimy

Function to suppress Function to combineThe unoconscious is structured like a language

• MICHEL FOCAULT genealogistHe used the terms genealogy or archeology of knowledge focused on rupturesDiscouse medium troug which power is expressed

• THOMAS KUHN paradigm to describe the foucalidian discoverses

• EDWARD SAID analyze Orientalism

• JAKOBSON

Combination Selection / substitution

metonimy metaphor

dispiacenent condensation