In the reading Saussure points out that in the aspect of language "signs function not through their intrinsic value but through their relative position"(40). With this statement he recognizes the structuralism view that one word alone cannot be defined. Something is made its own symbol because there is an opposing force contradicting that certain symbol.
I have come up with an example regarding the four seasons. Feel free to comment if I am misled. I feel as though in the theory of structuralism, Autumn is autumn because winter, spring, and summer are different seasons of the year. Without these together, the term "season" would be nonexistent.
On the contrary, in the theory of Post Structuralism symbols are unstable with or without opposing forces. In this case the four seasons are not really their defined meaning of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In Post Structuralism there is not a center of meaning required.
damn
14 years ago
3 comments:
Great analogy with the seasons. We can only understand "Autumn" through our understanding of what we consider its opposite (In this case, I guess it would be Spring).
Yet Post-Structuralism messes with us a little bit more. It not only asserts that our designations for these seasons are arbitrary, it says that our entire system for classifying these things is null and void! A scary but interesting thought, right??
I agree that your example of the seasons is very good. I do wonder though how people that live near the equator would define a season(s.) I guess this is where you could apply Saussure's belief that there are no "positive" terms. Despite this, for us New Englanders, it is definitely the case that we have four definitive seasons to use as a basis of comparison.
Imagine too that because of actions outside of our control, our planet functions in a way that the seasons come in the order they do and have the particular weather they tend to have. These things are how we know them too and it is easy to see how the words, Fall, Spring, etc. have absolutely no meaning without the others there to oppose what they represent.
This is a really good analogy.
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