georglowinger's review
4.0
"To bring us to see social life and culture in general as a series of sign systems which a linguistic model can help us to analyse - this is the contribution which might eventually make him comparable to Galileo." (p.117)
This book a is great introduction to one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. Often ignored or treated as a footnote to Derrida, Foucault or Lacan, Saussure deserved credit as one of the founders of modern lingusitics, and a great thinker in his own right, even if his influence overshadowed his actual career. Culler explains Saussure's discoveries and cements Saussure position as a great thinker, explaining Saussure's differentiation between langue and parole, Saussure's rejection of diachronic and synchronic linguistics, and his separation of the signified and the signifier.
In the final chapter Culler helps to explore some of the applications of Saussure in both the structuralist movement in the social sciences, and perhaps more notably the philosophical and literary movements in poststructuralism.
Culler does for some odd reason ignore Lacan, noting the mirror stage but failing to reference the author of the notion. Why he does this I'm unsure, but this is a minor nitpick, in an otherwise perfect entry level introduction.
This book a is great introduction to one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. Often ignored or treated as a footnote to Derrida, Foucault or Lacan, Saussure deserved credit as one of the founders of modern lingusitics, and a great thinker in his own right, even if his influence overshadowed his actual career. Culler explains Saussure's discoveries and cements Saussure position as a great thinker, explaining Saussure's differentiation between langue and parole, Saussure's rejection of diachronic and synchronic linguistics, and his separation of the signified and the signifier.
In the final chapter Culler helps to explore some of the applications of Saussure in both the structuralist movement in the social sciences, and perhaps more notably the philosophical and literary movements in poststructuralism.
Culler does for some odd reason ignore Lacan, noting the mirror stage but failing to reference the author of the notion. Why he does this I'm unsure, but this is a minor nitpick, in an otherwise perfect entry level introduction.
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