In his foundational essay "Object of Study", Ferdinand de Saussure redefines the scientific study of language and sets the groundwork for modern structural linguistics. He challenges the traditional views of language as merely a collection of sounds or historical developments and instead focuses on understanding language as a structured system. Saussure aims to clarify what linguistics should study and how it should approach its subject matter.
Saussure begins by distinguishing between three related terms: langage, langue, and parole. Langage is the broad human faculty of speech, including both the social and individual aspects of communication. Parole refers to the actual, individual acts of speaking—how language is used in real-life situations. However, Saussure argues that linguistics should focus primarily on langue, which he defines as the structured, social system of signs shared by a linguistic community.
According to Saussure, langue exists in the collective mind of speakers and is governed by rules and conventions. It is a social product, not tied to the creativity or psychology of individual speakers. He emphasizes that this system of language is what makes communication possible and thus should be the true object of linguistic study.
Saussure also introduces two perspectives for studying language: synchronic and diachronic. The synchronic approach studies language at a specific moment in time, treating it as a complete system. The diachronic approach, on the other hand, looks at how language evolves over time. While historical changes are important, Saussure argues that synchronic analysis is more crucial for understanding the structure and function of language.
One of Saussure’s most influential ideas is that language is a system of signs, each composed of a signifier (the sound pattern or form) and a signified (the concept or meaning). He stresses that the relationship between the signifier and signified is arbitrary—it is based on convention, not natural connection. Furthermore, signs gain meaning not in isolation, but through their difference from other signs within the system. For Saussure, the value of a linguistic sign comes from its relationship with the rest of the system, not from any reference to the external world.
Through "Object of Study", Saussure reorients the focus of linguistics from speech and historical change to the underlying structure of language as a system of signs. By defining langue as the proper object of study and promoting a synchronic, structural approach, he establishes the foundation for modern structuralism. His insights into the arbitrary nature of the sign and the relational value of linguistic units have had a lasting influence not only on linguistics but also on fields like semiotics, literary theory, and cultural studies.
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