Saussure's completion of Socrates's language project: Implications for the future of linguistics

Joseph, J. E. (Keynote speaker)

School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences

Activity: Academic talk or presentation types › Oral presentation

Description

In Plato's Cratylus, Hermogenes puts forward an absolutist view of the arbitrariness of linguistic signs. In modern times it is Ferdinand de Saussure who gets the credit -- or the blame -- for the arbitrariness of the sign. This lecture traces the continuities and discontinuities between the ancient and modern discussions, including the many disputes which have arisen in the 20th and 21st centuries. I explain my belief that linguistics has much to gain from a return to Saussure, something which has recently been argued for, surprisingly, by people working in large language models and artificial intelligence.

Period	9 May 2025
Event title	History and Philosophy of Linguistics
Event type	Symposium
Location	Athens, GreeceShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International