Philosophy of language
Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) was a French Linguist, who had an incredible effect on the development of linguistics in the 20th century. He proposed a structural approach to studying language, which looked at the relationships words have to one another: contrasts, opposites, hierarchies of meaning – in short, language in practice. He studied language synchronically, that is, how words are used at the present time (rather than a long-term evolutionary diachronic understanding).
Furthermore, he divided his understanding of linguistics into two areas – the langue, which is like the storehouse of all possible words, meanings, grammar; and parole, the words actually spoken. The langue is present only in a community of speakers, as they understand and develop the particular rules of language to communicate meaning. Different languages do different things.
All of this means that language is astoundingly (and wonderfully) complex. Words can be combined and arranged in such a way as to create new meaning (contra Logical Positivism). Redundancy helps to eliminate detrimental effects of ‘noise’ such as bad grammar, textual corruption, wide semantic ranges, and so on. Having come to understand this through a philosophy class this semester, this skit is simply wonderful.
Glad to hear they’re teaching you some phil language at college. Does this change your perspective of how to read the Bible? Has it affected your view/practice of doing Biblical studies?
Stuart: It’s given me a renewed confidence that God can indeed communicate through human language, and that we can use language to talk about God. No surprises for a Bible-believer, I suppose, but helpful all the same.