Ferdinand de Saussure, Structuralism

Along with Marx and Freud, the most significant influences on contemporary literary theory come from scholars who have shaped our contemporaries’ views of what language does. We have already looked at Martin Heidegger, the philosopher responsible for what is called the ’linguistic turn.’ But within the field of linguistics itself, it is Ferdinand de Saussure’s General Course in Linguistics that has proved exceptionally influential on later writers and theorists. It is de Saussure’s Structuralism that will form the basis of various cultural theories, including influences within the social sciences, e.g. sociology or anthropology, and it is in the perceived inadequacies of structuralism that the post-structuralism of the 1960s arises. ❤️ If you find my channel helpful, become a channel member: To support my channel and assist me in providing better content, please go here: