----------------------- Page 1----------------------Linguistics and Grammatology Jacques Derrida; Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak SubStance, Vol. 4, No. 10.

(Autumn, 1974), pp. 127-181. Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0049-2426%28197423%294%3A10%3C127%3ALAG%3E2.0.C O%3B2-X SubStance is currently published by University of Wisconsin Press. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Con ditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/about/terms.html. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provi des, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher c ontact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/journals/uwisc.html. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright no tice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. The JSTOR Archive is a trusted digital repository providing for long-term preser vation and access to leading academic journals and scholarly literature from around the world. The Archive is supporte d by libraries, scholarly societies, publishers, and foundations. It is an initiative of JSTOR, a not-for-profit organization wit h a mission to help the scholarly community take advantage of advances in technology. For more information regarding JSTOR, pleas e contact support@jstor.org. http://www.jstor.org Sun Oct 21 12:56:53 2007 ----------------------- Page 2----------------------LINGUISTICS AND GRAMMATOLOGY ''

Jacques Derrida W r i t i n g o t h i n g but t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i o n s p e e c h ; e s o f more i t is b i z a r r e t h a t c a r e t o t h e d e t e r m i n i n g t h e image t h a n t o one g i v o f i s n

t h e J. Fragment ur Zes Zangues r e n o m i n e r i t c d i n i n e d i t d ' u n The c o n c e p t o f w i n e t h e f i e l d o f a s c i But c a n it b e d e t e r m i u t s i d e o f a l l t h e h i s t m e t a p h y s i c a l p r e d e t e r have j u s t s i t u a t e d s o c l i n i c a l l y ? What c a n t i n g b e g i n t o s i g n i f y , it i s g r a n t e d : 1) t h a t t h e v e r y was b o r n i n a c e r t a i n e p o c h o f w r i t i n g ; t k l u l c t it was , i d e a n g u a c t u r a y d e t h and , t o t o t h a g l e , e l r w t h e J.

o b j e c t . Rousseau, e s s a i s

i n g s h o u l d d e f e . by s c h o l a r s o c o a t i o n s t h a t we o f w r i

a s c i e n c e i f i d e a o f

s c i e n c e

2 ) t h a a t e d , a s t a s j e c t , i n a k i n d o f s t r a x i o l o g i c a l between s p e e 3 ) t h a i r s t r e l a t e d

t h o u g h t and p r o i m p l y i n g a c y and m i n e d r e l a t i o r i t i n g ; a t e x t e n t , it conof e v e n

f o r m u l e r t a i n n s h i p was f w r i what

c e p t and t h e a d v e n t u r e t i n g , v a l o r i z e d a s t h e t e l o s o f was always a l l w r i t i n g , t h e exemplary

p h o n e t i c though

model o f s c i e n t i f i c i t y - - m a t h e m a t i c s - - c o n s t a n t l y moved away from t h a t g o a l ; t r ~ f o r i y u r e t i 1 r o c t e s t n o t i r i t i r . g t u i t o u s r e d o f ( b e g i n n i n g y ) and e r m i n e d s y s o n o f a

4) t h a t t h e s g e n e r a l s c i e n c e o f was b o r n , f o r n o n d u r i n g a c e r t a i n p e t h e w o r l d ' s h i s t o r t h e e i g h t e e n t h c e n t w i t h i n a c e r t a i n d r e l a t i o n s h i p s between " l i v i n g " s p e e c h and "c) G a y a t r E n g l i s h v e e s s a y c o n s t ,Jacques D e Grarnrnatologie. u i t , 1 9 6 7 . S p i v a k ' s E n i r e book i s P r i n t e d w i t

a s o n s , around t e m o f

i n s c r i p t i o n ; i v a k d f o r t h e o f Y i n e n t

i C h a k r a v o r t y S p r s i o n . T h i s i t u t e s t h e s e c o n r r i d a ' s Oe l a ( c ) Les E d i P r o f e s s o r y l i s h t r a n s l a t i o f o r t h c o m i n g . h p e r m i s s i o n .

c h a n t e r de t h e

t i o n s n o f

SUB-STANCE

N O .

1 0 ,

1 9 7 4

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----------------------- Page 3----------------------5) t h a t w r i t i n ? i s n o t o n l y an a u x i l i a r y means i n t h e s e r v i c e o f s c i e n c e - - a n d p o s s i b l y i t s o b j e c t - - h u t f i r s t , a s I i u s s e r l i i l p a r t i c u l a r p o i n t e d o u t i n T h e O r i g i n of G eometry, t h e c o n d i t i o n o f t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f i d e a l o b j e c t s and t , h e r e f o r e o f s c i e n t i f i c obj e c t i v i t y . B e f o r e h e i n g i t s o b j e c t , w r i t i n g i s t!le c o n d i t i o n of t h e s p i s t 6 r c A . 6 ; t h a t h i s t o r i c i t y i t s e l f i s t i e d t o t h e n o s s i b i l i t y o f w r i t i n g ; t o t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f w r i t i n g i n g e n e r a l , 5eyond t h o s e p a r t i c u l a r forms o f w r i t i n g i n t h e name o f which we have l o n g 5:)oken o f n e o p l e s rii t h o u t w r i t i n g and r r i t h o ~ i th i s t o r v . R e f o r e b e i n g t h e o b j e c t o f a h i s t o r y - - o f an h i s t o r i c a l s c i e n c e - - w r i t i n g opens t h e f i e l d o f h i s t o r y - - o f h i s t o r i c a l becoming. And t h e f o r mer (Historic i n German) p r e s u p p o s e s t h e l a t t e r ( G e s c h i c h t e ) . The s c i e n c e o f w r i t i n g s h o u l d t ! l e r e f o r e l o o k f o r i t s o b j e c t a t t h e r o o t s o f s c i e n t i f i c i t y . The h i s t o r y o f w r i t i n g s h o u l d t u r n back toward t h e o r i g i n o f h i s t o r i c i t y . i\ s c i e n c e o f t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f s c i e n c e ? A s c i e n c e o f t h e s c i e n c e which would no l o n g e r have a ZogicaZ h u t a grammaticaZ form? A h i s t o r \ . o f t h e n o s s i b i l i t y o f h i s t o r y , o r a h i s t o r y o f p h i l o s o p h y ? The o o s i t i v e and t h e c l a s s i c a l s c i e n c e s o f w r i t i n g a r e o l ~ l i g e dt o r e p r e s s t h i s s o r t o f q u e s t i o n . Up t o a c e r t a i n p o i n t , such r e p r e s s i o n i s even n e c e s s a r y t o t h e p r o g r e s s o f p o s i t i v e i n v e s t i g a t i o n . B e s i d e t h e f a c t t h a t i t would s t i l l h e h e l d w i t h i n a p h i l o s o p h i z i n g l o g i c , t h e 0nt0p hen0menoloj;ical q u e s t i o n o f e s s e n c e , t h a t i s t o s a y of t h e o r i g i n o f ~ a r i t i n g ,c o u l d , 11y i t s e l f , o n l y p a r a l y z e o r s t e r i l i z e t h e t y p o l o g i c a l o r h i s t o r i c a l r e s e a r c h o f f a c t s . Yy i n t e n t i o n , n o r e o v e r , i s n o t t o weigh t h a t p r e j u d i c i a l q u e s t i o n , t h a t d r y , n e c e s s a r y , and somew hat f a c i l e q u e s t i o n o f

r i g h t , a g a i n s t t h e power and e f f i c a c y o f t h e p o s i t i v e r e s e a r c h e s which we a r e a l l o w e d t o w i t n e s s t o d a y . The g e n e s i s a n d s y s t e m of s c r i p t s h a d n e v e r l e d t o s u c h p r o f o u n d , e x t e n d e d , a n d a s s u r e d exp l o r a t i o n s . I t i s n o t r e a l l y a m a t t e r o f w e i g h i n g t h e q u e s t i o n a g a i n s t t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f t h e d i s c o v e r y , s i n c e t h e q u e s t i o n s a r e i m p o n d e r a b l e , t h e y c a n n o t be w e i g h e d . I f t h e i s s u e i s n o t q u i t e t h a t , it i s p e r h a p s b e c a u s e i t s r e p r e s s i o n h a s r e a l c o n s e q u e n c e s i n t h e v e r y c o n t e n t o f t h e r e s e a r c h e s t h a t , i n t h e p r e s e n t c a s e and i n a p r i v i l e g e d wav, a r e alwavs a r r a n g e d around t h e problems o f d e f i n i t i o n and commencement. The g r a m m a t o l o g i s t l e a s t o f a l l c a n a v o i d q u e s t i o n i n g hims e l f a b o u t t h e e s s e n c e of h i s o b j e c t i n t h e form of a q u e s t i o n of o r i g i n ; "What i s w r i t i n g ? " means "where and when d o e s w r i t i n g b e g i n ? " The r e s p o n s e s g e n e r a l l y come v e r y q u i c k l y . They c i r c l e w i t h i n l i t t l e - c r i t i c i z e d c o n c e p t s and move w i t h i n e v i d e n c e which always seems s e l f - e v i d e n t . I t i s a r o u n d t h e s e r e s p o n s e s t h a t a t y p o l o g y o f and a p e r s p e c t i v e on t h e g rowth o f w r i t i n g a r e a1:iays o r g a n i z e d . A l l works d e a l i n g w i t h t h e I i i s t o r v o f w r i t i n g a r e comp o s e d i n t h e same form: a p h i l o s o p h i c a l and t e l e o l o g i c a l c l a s s i f i c a t i o n ex!lausts t h e c r i t i c a l p r o h l e n s i n a feri p a g e s ; one p a s s e s ilcxt t o an e x p o s i t i o n o f f a c t s . 1Ce have n c o n t r a s t b e t l i e e n t h e theoretical f r : i g i l i t v o f tlic r e c o n s t r ~ i c t i o n sand t h e h i s t o r i c a l , : i c~ h ; ~ e o l o g ic a l , e t h n o l o g i c a l , p h i l t ~ l o q i c a lillcnlth of i n f o r m a t i o n . ----------------------- Page 4----------------------Linguistics and Grammatology The question of the origin of writing and the question of the origin of language are difficult to separate. Grammatolo-

gists, who are generally by training historians, epigraphists, and archaeologists, seldom relate their researches to the modern science of language. It is all the more surprising that,

among the "sciences of man," linguistics is the one science whose scientificity is given as an example with a zealous and insistent unanimity. Has grammatology, then, the right to expect from linguistics an essential assistance that it has almost never looked for? On the contrary, does one not find efficaciously at work, in the very movement by which linguistics sets itself up as a science, a metaphysical presupposition about the relationship between speech and writing? Would that presupposition not hinder the Is not the lift-

constitution of a general science of writing?

ing of that presupposition an overthrowing of the landscape upon which the science of language is peacefully installed? better and for worse? For blindness as well as for productivity? For

This is the second type of question that I now wish to outline. To develop this question, I should like to approach, as a privileged example, the project and texts of Ferdinand de Saussure. That the particularity of the example does not interfere with the generality of my argument is a point which I shall occasionally try not merely to take for granted. Linguistics thus wishes to be the science of language. us set aside all the implicit decisions that have established such a project and all the questions about its own origin that the fecundity of this science allows to remain dormant. first simply consider that the scientificity of that science is often acknowledged because of its phonoZogical foundations. Phonology, it is often said today, communicates its scientificity to linguistics, which in turn serves as the epistemological model for all the sciences of man. Since the deliberate and Let us Let

systematic phonological orientation of linguistics (Troubetskoy, Jakobson, Vartinet) carries out an intention which was originally

Saussure's, I shall, at least provisionally, confine myself to the latter. Will my argument be equally applicable a fortiori to The problem will at

the most accentuated forms of phonologism? least be stated.

The science of linguistics determines language--its field of objectivity--in the last instance and in the irreducible simplicity of its essence, as the unity of the phong, the glossa, and the logos. This determination is by rights anterior to all

the possible differentiations that arose within the systems of terminology of the different schools (language/speech [langue/ parole]; code/message; scheme/usage; linguistic/logic; phonologv/ phonematics/phonetics/glossematics). And even if one wished to

keep sonority on the side of the sensible and contingent signifier (whichwould be strictly speaking impossible, since formal identities isolated within a sensible mass are already idealities that are not purely sensible), it would have to be admitted that the immediate and privileged unit which founds significance and ----------------------- Page 5----------------------t h e a c t o f l n i t y o f sound w i t h i n t h e p u n i t y , w r i t i always b e d e u l a r , e x t e r i t h e s i g n i f i e n , " s a i d A r i Rousseau, and Y e t , t h g e n e r a l l i n g a s c i e n c e r e a c o n t r a d i c d e c l a r e d p u r what goes w i n g - - t h e s u b t h e h i s t o r i c c a l r e d u c t i o a n i n s t r u m e n t o a f u l l and e . Rut a n o t ( n o t a n o t h e r a n g u a g and h o n i e . n g would r i v a t i o r , d o r : p h o s t o t l e H e g e e i n t e u i s t i c m a i n s t i o n . p o s e i i t h o u t o r d i n a o - m e t a n o f w t e n s l o r i g h e r g e s t a t e e i s t h e a r t i c u l a t e d u s e n s e With r e g a r d t o t h i s e , a c c i d e n t a l , p a r t i c b l i n g e t i c . "Sign o f a s i g . t i o n a s n t h i I t s 1 d e e d s a y i o n o h y s i i t i n g v e d n a r i l t u r e e n t o t h a t s i n s t i t u t e s w i t h i n

v u n , l n s i n t p r a i s m

r e s p e c t

c o n f i r m s - - s a y i n g f grammatology, t o y f t h e r a n k of

spoken

l a n g u a g h e r e

p u r p o s e ,

what d o e s s a y i n g i s e n w i t h o u l i b e r a t e s y o f t i c s - p h o n and c i r c L e t u s f o r e and s t S a u s s u r e . i d e and

t o u l a

n o t done b e t h e which l o g m s c l o w t e m

i y r e

go w i t h o u t w i t h o u t b e n g p r o f f e r e f u t u r e o f a l i n g u i s would be o i b e d a r e a . t h i s t e n s i o n t i n

i n g s a i d , w r i t t d ) g e n e r a l grammatolog n l y n a d e p e n d e n t g e s t u

between

'TGe t h e I n s i d e e On t h e one h a n d , t r u e t o t h n t a l t r a d i t i o n t h a t cont r o l s n o t o n l y i n t h e o r y b u t i n ( i n t h e o r i n c i p l e of i t s p r a c t i c e ) t h e r e l a t i - o n s h i p s between c h and w r i t i n g , S a u s s u r e does n o t r e c o g n i z e i n t h e l a t t e r a n a n a r r o u and d e r i v a t i v e f u n c t i o n . Narrow b e c a u s e i t i s b u t one m o d a l i t y among o t h e r s , a m o d a l i t y o f t h e e v e n t s a n b e f a l l a l a n g u a g e whose e s s e n c e , a s t h e f a c t s seem can remain f o r e v e r unc o n t a m i n a t e d by w r i t i n g . "Language have a d e f i n i t e and s t a b l e o r a l t r a d i t i o n t h a t i s O Q n t o f w r i t i n g " (Cours de l i n g u i s t i q u e g Z n & r a Z e , p . 4 6 ) i v e b e c a u s e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e : s i g n i f i e r of t h e f i r s t s i g n i f i e r e n t a t i o n o f 'the s e l f p r e s e n t v o i c e , o f t h e i m m e d i a t e , , and d i r e c t s i g n i f i c a t i o n o f t h e meaning ( o f t h e s i g n f t h e c o n c e p t , o f t h e i d e a l o b j e c t o r what have y o u ) . S a u s s s up t h e t r a d i t i o n a l d e f i n i t i o n of w r i t i n g which, a l r e a d y and A r i s t o t l e , was r e s t r i c t e d t o t h e model of p h o n e t i c s c r i p t l a n g u a g e of w o r d s . Let u s r e c a l l t h e A r i s t o t e l i a n d e f i n i t i en words a r e t h e symbols o f rnenteh e x p e r i e n c e and w r i t t e n r e t h e symbols o f spoken words." S a u s s u r e : "Language i n g a r e two d i s t i n c t s y s tems o f s i g n s ; t h e s e c o n d e x i s t s s o l e p u r n o s e o f r e p r e s e n t i n g t h e f i r s t . " ( p . 4 5 ; i t a Cp. 231. T h i s r e p r e s e n t a t i v e d e t e r m i n a t i o n , b e s i d e e s s e n t i a l l y w i t h t h e i d e a o f t h e s i g n , d o e s n o t t a c h o i c e o r a n e v a l u a t i o n ,

O u t s o c c i d e

p r a c t i c e s p e e n o r e t h

n o t h i n g x h i c h t o show, d o e s d e p e n d e n D e r i v a t , r e p r e s n a t u r a l i f i e d , u r e i n and o n : words and f o r l i c s o c

t a k e P l a t o t h e "Spok a w r i t t h e mine)

communicating r a n s l a t e

d o e s n o t b e t r a y a p s y c h o l o g i c h y s i c a l p r e s u p n o s i t i o n p e c u l i a r t o S a u s s u r e ; i t d e s c t h e r r e f l e c t s t h e s t r u c t u r e o f a c e r t . a i n t y p e of s c r t i c s c r i p t , which we u s e , and w i t h i n t h e p r i n c i p l e s o f p i s t Z m 5 i n g e n e r a l ( s c i e n c e and p h i l o s o p h y ) , and l i n g u i s t i c u l a r , c o u l d b e f o u n d e d . One s h o u l d s a y model r a t h e r t r e ; i t i s n o t a q u e s t i o n of a s y s t e m c o n s t r u c t e d and f p e r f e c t l y h u t o f an i d e a l e x p l i c i t l y d i r e c t i n g a f u n c t i i n f a c t i s n e v e r c o m p l e t e l v p l i o n e t i c . I n f a c t , b u t a l s o o f e s s e n c e t o which 1 s h a l l f r e q u e n t l y r e t u r n . ----------------------- Page 6----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s and

a l

o r

m e t a p o r r a

r i b e s i p t : which i c s h a n i n

p h o n e t h e e

p a r t

s t r u c t u

u n c t i o n i n g o n i n g f o r which

r e a s o n s

Grammatology w i r s . l u s s

To b e s u r e t h i s f a c t u m o f p h o n e t i c r i t i n g i s m a s s i v e ; i t commands o u r e n t i r e c u l t u r e and o u r e n t e s c i e n c e , and i t i s c e r t a i n l y n o t j u s t one f a c t among o t h e r N e v e r t h e l e s s it does n o t r e s p o n d t o any n e c e s s i t y o f a n a b s o t e and u n i v e r s a l e s s e n c e . Using t h i s a s a p o i n t o f d e p a r t u r e , S a u u r e d e f i n e s t h e p r o j e c t and o b j e c t of g e n e r a l l i n g u i s t i c s : "The l i n g u i s t i c o b j e c t i s n o t b o t h t h e w r i t t e n and t h e spoken forms o f w o r d s ; t h e s p o k e n form aZone c o n s t i t u t e s t h e o b j e c t " (p. ; i t a l i c s mine) Lp. 23-241. The form o f t h e q u e s t i o n t o w h i c h r e s p o n d e d t h u s e n t a i l e d t h e r e s p o n s e . I t was a m a t t e r o f knowing what s o r t o f word i s t h e o b j e c t o f l i n g u i s t i c s and what t h e l a t i o n s h i p s between t h e a t o m i c u n i t i e s t h a t a r e w r i t t e n and t h e poken word a r e . Now t h e word ( v o x ) i s a l r e a d y a u n i t y o f s e e and s o u n d , o f c o n c e p t and v o i c e , o r , t o s p e a k a more r i g o r o u s S a u s s u r i a n l a n g u a g e , o f t h e s i g n i f i e d and t h e s i g n i f i e r . T h i s s t t e r m i n o l o g y was moreover f i r s t p r o p o s e d i n t h e domain o spoken l a n g u a g e a l o n e , o f l i n g u i s t i c s i n t h e n a r r o w s e n s e , and o t i n t h e domain o f s e m i o l o g y ("I p r o p o s e t o r e t a i n t h e word s i g n [ s i g n e l t o d e s i g -

4 5 he

r e s n s l y l a f n

n a t e t h e whole and t o r e p l a c e c o n c e o t and sound-image r e s p e c t i v e l y by s i g n i f i e d C s i g n i f i 6 2 and s i g n i f i e r [ s i g n i f i a n t l " p . 9 9 [ p . 6 7 3 ) . The word i s t h u s a l r e a d y a c o n s t i t u t e d u n i t y , a n e f f e c t of " t h e somewhat m y s t e r i o u s f a c t . . . t h a t I t h o u g h t s o u n d ' i m p l i e s d i v i s i o n " ( p . 156)Fp. 1121. Even i f t h e word i s i n i t s t u r n a r t i c u l a t e d , e v e n i f it i m p l i e s o t h e r d i v i s i o n s , a s l o n g a s one p o s e s t h e q u e s t i o n o f r e l a t i o n s h i p s between s p e e c h and w r i t i n g i n t h e l i g h t o f t h e i n d i v i s i b l e u n i t s o f t h e " t h a u g h t s o u n d , " t h e r e will a l w a y s b e t h e r e a d y r e s p o n s e . W r i t i n g w i l l b e " p h o n e t i c , " it w i l l b e t h e o u t s i d e , t h e e x t e r i o r r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f l a n g u a g e and o f t h i s " t h o u g h t - s o u n d . " I t must n e c e s s a r i l y o p e r a t e from a l r e a d y c o n s t i t u t e d u n i t s o f s i g n i f i c a t i o n , i n t h e f o r m a t i o n o f which i t h a s p l a y e d no p a r t . P e r h a p s t h e o b j e c t i o n w i l l b e made t h a t w r i t i n g up t o t h e p r e s e n t h a s n o t o n l y n o t c o n t r a d i c t e d , b u t i n d e e d c o n f i r m e d , t h e l i n g u i s t i c s o f t h e word. H i t h e r t o I seem t o have m a i n t a i n e d t h a t o n l y t h e f a s c i n a t i o n o f t h e u n i t c a l l e d w ord h a s p r e v e n t e d g i v i n g t o w r i t i n g t h e a t t e n t i o n t h a t it m e r i t e d . By t h a t I seemed t o s u p p o s e t h a t , by c e a s i n g t o a c c o r d an a b s o l u t e p r i v i l e g e t o t h e word, modern l i n g u i s t i c s would become t h a t much more a t t e n t i v e t o w r i t i n g and would f i n a l l y c e a s e t o r e g a r d it w i t h s u s p i c i o n . AndrE M a r t i e t comes t o t h e o p p o s i t e c o n c l u s i o n . I n h i s s t u d y "The IVord,ttg he d e s c r i b e s t h e n e c e s s i t y t h a t contemporary l i n g u i s t i c s obeys when i t i s l e d , i f n o t t o d i s p e n s e everywhere w i t h t h e c o n c e p t of t h e word, a t l e a s t t o make i t s u s a g e more f l e x i b l e , t o a s s o c i a t e it w i t h t h e c o n c e p t s o f s m a l l e r o r g r e a t e r u n i t s (monemes o r s y n t a g m s ) . I n a c c r e d i t i n g and c o n s o l i d a t i n g t h e d i v i s i o n o f l a n g u a g e i n t o words i n c e r t a i n a r e a s o f l i n g u i s t i c s , w r i t i n g would t h u s have e n c o u r a g e d c l a s s i c a l l i n g u i s t i c s i n i t s p r e j u d i c e s . W r i t i n g would have c o n s t r u c t e d o r a t l e a s t condensed

t h e sau

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t h e word."

What a c o n t e m o o r a r y l i n g u i s t can a b o u t t h word~ ~1el.l i l l u s t r a t e s t o what e x t e n t h e - f u n c t i o n a Z and s t r u c t u r a l r e s e a r c h o f t h e Zast h i r t g - f i v e y e a r s ----------------------- Page 7----------------------h a s had t o r e v i i n o r d e r t o l a y t h e s c i e n t i r t h e o b s e r v a t i o n and d e s c r i n t i o n r t a i n a a o l i c a t i o n s o f l i n g u i s t i c s , a r c h a p o l y i n g t o mechanicai: t r a n m p h a s i s w h i c h t h e y p l a c e on t h e w r language m i g h t seem t o l e n d i m p o r t a t h e w r i t t e n t e x t and l e a d us t o f o r g s p e e c h one s h o u l d alzjays s t a r t i n t h e r e a l n a t u r e of hunan lung uaqe. a n e w r it i s i n d i s n e n s a b l e t o i n s i t l 4 o f pushing t h e e r a i n i n a t i o n b c y a p p e a r a n c e s and b e y o n d t h e s t r u a r t o t h e r e s e a r c h e r . The f v n d m e n t a l lanq uaqe a r e o f t e n t o b e found b e h w o r d s . n c e p t s One c a n n o t b u t u t i o n . Yet it must always be r e c o g n i z e d i c i o n o n l y on a c e r t t y p e o f w r i t i n g : p h t o t h e e m p i r i c d e t e r m i n e d and p r a c t d i n a r y o r a l l a n g u a g e The p r o c e s s e s o f m e c t o which i t a l l u d e s conform s i m i l a r l y t o c t i c e . Beyond t h a t model and t h a t c o n c e e n t i r e d e m o n s t r a t i o n it seems, b e r e c o n s i s t r a p p e d i n t h e S a l i m i t a t i o n t h a t we a l o r e . s e t r a d i t i o n a l c o

t t

f i c f o u n d a t i o n s o f l a n g u a g e . a s t h e by

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p t o f w r i t i n g , t h i s m u s t , d e r e d . F o r i t r e m a i n u s s u r i a n r e a t t e m p t i n g t o e x p

I o f s t o two, s e n t a t l a n g u a s y n t h manner, e l e m e c o n s t i i t i n g : e p r e s e t h e s

n e f y s t e b o i o n g e , e t i c o r n t s t u t i

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S a u s s u r e limits t h e number w r i t i n g f i n e d a s s y s t e m s o f r e p r e e o r a l r r e p r e s e n t i n g words i n a g l o b a l p r e s e n t i n g p h o n e t i c a l l y t h e sounds words: f e h e t e m s word o f w r i s r t o

s t a n d s i d e a f an The r o d u c e P h o n e t p h n b e t i n s p e i

b e c u n r s . s t i e y e o f b e i e r e w r i g u r i s a o r i q ( p f i s , t n g i t i a t no

T h e r e a r e o n l y two s y s 1 ) I n an i d e o g r a p h i c sy%stern e a c h n t e d b y a s i n g l e s i g n t h a t i s u n o u n d s o f t h e word i t s e l j ' . Pach w r i for a whole word a n d , c o n s e q u e n t l y x p r e s s e d by t h e word. The c l a s s i c d e o q r a v h i c s y s t e m o f u r i t i n g i s C s y s t e m commonly known a s " o h o n e t i c " t r t h e s u c c e s s i o n o f s o u n d s t h a t make up i c s y s t e m s a r e s o m e t i m e s s y l l a b i c , s o i c , i . e . , b a s e d on t h e i r r e d u c i b l e e l e e a k i n q . Moreo v e r , i d e o g r a p h i c s y s t e m i x t u r e s iwhen c e r t a i n i d e q r a n s i n a l v a l u e and become s y m b o l s o f i s o l . 47)Cp. 2 5 - 2 6 1 s

r e l a t e d t t e n , for example h i n e s e . i e s a t o word.

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T h i s l i m i t a t i o n i e d , i n S a u s s u r e ' s by t h e n o t i o n o f h e s i g n . W r i t i n g d e f i n e d a s "a s y s no "symbolic" n g ( i n t h e S a u s s u i v e w r i t i n g ; t h e r a s l o n g

f u n d a m e n t a l l y t h e

a r b i t r a r i n e s s o f s i g n s , " t h

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r i a n s e n s e ) , no f i e a s g r a p h i s m k e e p s

~ ~ r i t i n g r e l a t i o n s h i p o f n a t u r a l f i g u r a t i o n and o f some r e s e m b l a n c e t o i s n o t s i ~ n i f i e db u t r e p r e s e n t e d , drawn, e t c . The c o n c e p t p i c t o g r a a h i c o r n a t u r a l ----------------------- Page 8----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s and Grammatology

what of

w r i t i n g would t h e r e f o r e be c o n t r a d i c t o r y f o r S a u s s u r e . I f one c o n s i d e r s t h e now-recognized f r a g i l i t y o f t h e n o t i o n s o f p i c t o g r a m , i d e o g r a m , e t c ; , and t h e u n c e r t a i n t y o f t h e f r o n t i e r s between s o - c a l l e d p i c t o g r a p h i c , i d e o g r a p h i c , and p h o n e t i c s c r i p t s , one m e a s u r e s n o t o n l y t h e imprudence o f t h e S a u s s u r i a n l i m i t a t i o n b u t t h e n e e d f o r g e n e r a l l i n g u i s t i c s t o ahandon an e n t i r e f a m i l y o f c o n c e p t s , i n h e r i t e d from m e t a p h y s i c s - - o f t e n t h r o u g h t h e i n t e r m e d i a r y o f a p s y c h o l o g y - - a n d c l u s t e r i n g around t h e c o n c e p t o f a r b i t r a r i n e s s . A l l t h i s r e f e r s , beyond t h e n a t u r e / c u l t u r e o p p o s i t i o n , t o a s u p e r v e n i n g o p p o s i t i o n between p h y s i s and nomos, p h y s i s a n d teclznd, whose u l t i m a t e f u n c t i o n i s p e r h a p s t o d e r i v e h i s t o r i c i t y ; a n d , p a r a d o x i c a l l y , n o t t o r e c o g n i z e t h e r i g h t s o f h i s t o r y , p r o d u c t i o n , i n s t i t u t i o n s e t c ; , e x c e p t u n d e r t h e form o f t h e a r b i t r a r y and on a b a s e o f n a t u r a l i s m . But l e t u s keep t h a t q u e s t i o n p r o v i s i o n a l l y open: p e r h a p s t h i s g e s t u r e , which i n t r u t h p r e s i d e s o v e r m e t a p h y s i c s , i s a l s o i n s c r i b e d i n t h e c o n c e p t o f h i s t o r y and even i n t h e c o n c e p t o f t i m e . I n a d d i t i o n , S a u s s u r e i n t r o d u c e s a n o t h e r m a s s i v e l i m i t a t i o n : "I s h a l l l i m i t d i s c u s s i o n t o t h e p h o n e t i c s y s t e m and e s p e c i a l l y t o t h e one u s e d t o d a y , t h e s y s t e m t h a t s t e m s from t h e Greek a l p h a b e t " [ p . 48) c p . 2 6 1 . These two l i m i t a t i o n s a r e a l l t h e mor e r e a s s u r i n g b e c a u s e t h e y a r e j u s t what we need a t a s p e c i f i c p o i n t t o r e s p o n d t o t h e most l e g i t i m a t e of e x i g e n c i e s ; i n f a c t , t h e c o n d i t i o n f o r s c i e n t i f i c i t y o f l i n g u i s t i c s i s t h a t t h e f i e l d of l i n g u i s t i c s have h a r d and f a s t f r o n t i e r s , t h a t it b e a s y s t e m r e g u l a t e d by an i n t e r n a l n e c e s s i t y , and t h a t i n a c e r t a i n way i t s s t r u c t u r e b e c l o s e d . The r e p r e s e n t a t i v i s t c o n c e p t o f w r i t i n g f a c i l i t a t e s t h i n g s . I f w r i t i n g i s n o t h i n g b u t t h e " f i g u r a t i o n " ( p . 44) [p. 231 o f t h e l a n g u a g e , one h a s t h e r i g h t t o e x c l u d e i t

from t h e i n t e r i o r i t y o f t must be b e l i e v e d t h a t t h e r e i s a n i n s i d e , a s t h e image may b e e x c l u d e d w i t h o u t damage f r e a l i t y . P r o o s i n

t h e o f from

s y s t e m t h e

( f o r i

l a n g u a g e ) s y s t e m o

t h e

,,?a. g a s h i s theme " t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f l a n g u a g e by w r i t i n g S a u s s u r e t h u s b e g i n s b y p o s i t i n g t h a t w r i t i n g i s " u n r e l a t e d t o [ t h e ] . . . i n n e r system" o f l a n g u a g e (p. 44)Cp. 231. E x t e r n a l / i n t e r n a l , i m a g e / r e a l i t y , representati on/presence, s u c h i s t h e o l d g r i d t o which i s g i v e n t h e t a s k o f o u t l i n i n g t h e domain o f a s c i e n c e . And o f what s c i e n c e ? Of a s c i e n c e t h a t c a n n o l o n g e r answer t o t h e c l a s s i c a l c o n c e p t of t h e e ~ i s t 6 r n 6 b e c a u s e t h e o r i g i n a l i t y o f i t s f i e l d - - a n o r i g i n a l i t y t h a t i t i n a u g u r a t e s - - i s t h a t t h e o p e n i n g o f t h e "image" w i t h i n i t a p p e a r s a s t h e c o n d i t i o n o f " r e a l i t y ; " a r e l a t i o n s h i p t h a t can no l o n g e r be t h o u g h t w i t h i n t h e s i m p l e d i f f e r e n c e and t h e uncompromising e x t e r i o r i t y o f "image" and " r e a l i t y , " o f " o u t s i d e " and " i n s i d e , " o f " a p p e a r a n c e " and " e s s e n c e , " w i t h t h e e n t i r e s y s t e m o f o p p o s i t i o n s which n e c e s s a r i l y f o l l o \ v s froin i t . P l a t o , who s a i d b a s i c a l l y t h e same t h i n g a b o u t t \ e r e l a t i o n s h i p between w r i t i n g , s p e e c h , and b e i n g ( o r i d e a ) , had a t l e a s t a more s u b t l e , more c r i t i c a l , and l e s s complacent t h e o r y cf image, p a i n t i r i g , 2nd i m i t a t i o n t h a n t h e one t h a t p r e s i d e s o v e r t h e b i r t h o f S a u s s u r i a n l i n g u i s t i c s . ----------------------- Page 9----------------------I t i v e c o n s p h o n e t i c h e e x i g e " i n t e r n a p r i n c i p w r i t i n g e c t t h e " i n t e r n a i f i n f a s u c c e e d i t a t i o n i s n o t by chance t h a i d e r a t i o n o f w r i t i n g p e r m i t s a r n c i e s o f t h e l s y s t e m . " The b a s i l e o f p h o n e t i c i s p r e c i s e l y t o r e s p i n t e g r i t y o f t h e l system" o f t h e l a n c t i t d o e s n o t i n d o i n g s o . The S a d o e s n o t r e s p o n d , t t h e e x c l u s t o t

e s p o n s e c

f u n c t i o n a l and p r o t even l i m

e c t

g u a g e ,

u s s u r i a n

by a mere happy c o n v e n t i f i e e x i g e n c y o f t h " i n t e r n a l s y s t e m . " T e l f c o n s t i t u t e d , a s t e p i s t e m o l o p i c a l e z i g e t h e v e r y p o s s i b i l i t y p h o n e t i c u r i t i y and o f t h e " n o t a t i o n f ' t o i n t e r n a l l o g i c . But l e t u s n o t s o i n t S a u s s u r e t o o i s q u i t e c o m p l a c e n t . Why e s o much a t t e n t i o n t t h a t e x t e r n a l phenomenon, g u r a t i o n , t h a t o u t s i d t h a t d o u b l e ? Why d o e s i b l e " t o s i m p l y d i s r E l i t e r a l l y "make a b s t s n e v e r t h e l e s s d e s i g n a s t h e a b s t r a c t e v e n i n s i d e o f l a n g u a g e ? W r i t i n q , s u s t m , i used c o n g uaq e . We c a n n s i m p l y d a c q u a i n t e d w i t h i t s u s e f d a n g e r s ( p . 44) Cp. 231. i n n e r s

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a t e r i o r i t y on t h a t h e e x i l e d i t " ] c t p

i m p l i f y : n o t e l s e would o t h a t e , s he judge e g a r d " r a c t i o n o f a t e d w i t h r e s p e

g i v f i

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t h o q h t i n u a l l y o t i s r e q a r d u l n e s s ,

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r e p r e s e n t We m u s t

s h o r t c m i q s ,

W r i t i n g would t h u s have r i t v t h a t one a t t r i b u t e s t o u t e n s i l s ; t o what i s e v e t t o o l and a d a n g e r o u s , a l m o s t m a l e f i c e n t , t e c h n i q u s t a n d s b e t t e r why, i n s t e a d o f t r e a t i n g t h i s e x t e r i o r f an a p p e n d i x o r m a r g i n a l l y , S a u s s u r e d e v o t e s s o l a b o r i o t o i t n e a r l y a t t h e openi n g o f t h e Cours . I t i s l n of o u t l i n i n g t h a n o f p r o t e c t i n g , and e v e n o f r e s t e r n a l s y s t e m o f t h e l a n g u a g e i n t h e p u r i t y o f i a i n s t t h e g r a v e s t , most p e r f i d i o u s , most permanent v h i c h h a s n o t c e a s e d t o menace, e v e n t o c o r r u p t t h a t h e c o u r s e o f what S a u s s u r e s t r o n g l y w i s h e s , i n s p i t e o i o n , t o c o n s i d e r a s an e x t e r n a l h i s t o r y , a s a s e r i t s a f f e c t i n g t h e l a n g u a g e and b e f a l l i n g i t from z ~ i t k ent o f " n o t a t i o n " ( p . 45) cp. 241, a s i f w r i t i n g began i t h n o t a t i o n . A l r e a d y i n

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t h e P h a e d r u s , t h e e v i l o f w r i t i n a s coming from w i t h o u t ( 2 7 5 a ) . The c o n t a m i n a t i o n by w h e f a c t o r t h e t h r e a t o f i t , a r e denounced i n t h e a c c e n t m o r a l i s t o r p r e a c h e r by t h e l i n g u i s t from Geneva. The t s ; it i s a s i f , a t t h e moment when t h e modern s c i e n c e g o s would come i n t o i t s autonomy and i t s s c i e n t i f i c i t y , n e c e s s a r y a g a i n t o a t t a c k a h e r e s y . T h i s t o n e began i t s e l f h e a r d when, a t t h e moment of a l r e a d y t y i n g t h e and t h e l o q o s w i t h i n t h e same p o s s i b i l i t y , t h e D h a e d r u s w r i t i n g a s t h e i n t r u s i o n o f an a r t f u l t e c h n i q u e , a f o r c e f a t o t a l l y o r i g i n a l s o r t , a n a r c h e t y p a l v i o l e n c e ; a s s a u l t u t s i d e upon t h e i n s i d e , a h r e a k i n g i n t o t h e I n t e r i o r i t y o l , t h e l i v i n g s e l f - p r e s e n c e o f t h e s o u l w i t h i n t h e t r u e l o g e l p t h a t s p e e c h l e n d s t o ~ t s e l f . Thus i n c e n s e d , S a u s s u r a r g u m e n t a t i o n aims a t more t h a n a t h e o r e t i c a l e r r o r , a moral f a u l t : a t a s o r t ----------------------- Page 10----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s and

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Grammatology

o f s t a i n and p r i m a r i l y a t a s i n . S i n h a s been d e f i n e d o f t e n - among o t h e r s by Malebranche and by Kant--as t h e i n v e r s i o n o f t h e n a t u r a l r e l a t i o n s h i p between t h e s o u l and t h e body t h r o u g h p a s s i o n . S a u s s u r e h e r e p o i n t s a t t h e i n v e r s i o n o f t h e n a t u r a l r e l a t i o n s h i p between s p e e c h and w r i t i n g . I t i s n o t a s i m p l e a n a l o g y : w r i t i n g , t h e l e t t e r , t h e s e n s i b l e i n s c r i p t i o n , h a s always b e e n c o n s i d e r e d by o c c i d e n t a l t r a d i t i o n a s t h e body and m a t t e r e x t e r n a l t o t h e s p i r i t , t o b r e a t h , t o s p e e c h , and t o t h e l o g o s . And t h e problem o f s o u l and body i s no d o u b t d e r i v e d from t h e problem o f w r i t i n g t o which i t s e e m s - - c o n v e r s e l y - - t o l e n d i t s m e t a p h o r s . W r i t i n g , s e n s i b l e m a t t e r and a r t i f i c i a l e x t e r i o r i t ' a " c l o t h i n g . " i t h a s sometimes b e e n c o n t e s t e d t h a t s p e e c x ' c l o t h e d

t h o u g h t . H u s s e r l , S a u s s u r e , L a v e l l e have a l l q u e s t i o n e d i t . But h a s it e v e r been d o u b t e d t h a t w r i t i n g was t h e c l o t h i n g o f s p e e c h ? For S a u s s u r e i t i s e v e n a garment o f p e r v e r s i o n and d e b a u c h e r i e , a d r e s s o f c o r r u p t i o n and d i s g u i s e , a f e s t i v a l mask t h a t must be e x o r c i s e d , t h a t i s t o s a y warded o f f , by t h e good word: " W r i t i n g o b s c u r e s l a n g u a g e ; it i s n o t a g u i s e f o r l a n g u a g e b u t a d i s g u i s e " ( p . 51)Cp. 3 0 3 . S t r a n g e "image. " One a l r e a d y s u s p e c t s t h a t i f w r l t i n g i s "image" and e x t e r i o r 7 f f i g u r a t i o n , " t h i s " r e p r e s e n t a t i o n " i s n o t i n n o c e n t . Th e o u t s i d e b e a r s w i t h t h e i n s i d e a r e l a t i o n s h i p t h a t i s , a s u s u a l , a n y t h i n g b u t s i m p l e e x t e r i o r i t y . The meaning o f t h e o u t s i d e was always p r e s e n t w i t h i n t h e i n s i d e , i m p r i s o n e d o u t s i d e t h e o u t s i d e , and v i c e v e r s a . Thus a s c i e n c e o f l a n g u a g e must r e c o v e r t h e nati,iral,-t h a t i s , t h e s l m p l e and o r i g i n a l - - r e l a t i o n s h i p s between s p e e c h and w r i t i n g , t h a t i s , between an i n s i d e an d an o u t s i d e . I t must r e s t o r e i t s a b s o l u t e y o u t h , and t h e p u r i t y of i t s o r i g i n , b e f o r e a h i s t o r y and a f a l l which h a s p e r v e r t e d t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p s between o u t s i d e and i n s i d e . T h e r e f o r e t h e r e would be a n a t u r a l o r d e r o f r e l a t i o n s h i p s between l i n g u i s t i c and g r a p h i c s i g n s , and i t i s t h e t h e o r e t i c i a n o f t h e a r b i t r a r i n e s s o f t h e s i g n who reminds u s o f it. A c c o r d i n g t o t h e h i s t o r i c o - m e t a p h y s i c a l p r e s u p p o s i t i o n s evoked a b o v e , t h e r e would be f i r s t a n a t u r a l bond o f s e n s e t o t h e s e n s e s and it i s t h i s t h a t p a s s e s from s e n s e t o s o u n d : " t h e o n l y t r u e bond," S a u s s u r e s a y s , 'Ithe bond o f sound" ( p . 4 6 ) r p . 253. T h i s n a t u r a l bond from t h e s i g n i f i e d ( c o n c e p t o r s e n s e ) t o t h e p h o n i c s i g n i f i e r would c o n d i t i o n t h e n a t u r a l r e l a t i o n s h i p s u b o r d i n a t i n g w r i t i n g ( v i s i b l e image) t o s p e e c h . I t i s t h i s n a t u r a l r e l a t i o n s h i p t h a t h a s been i n v e r t e d by t h e o r i g i n a l s i n o f s c r i p t : "The g r a p h i c form [ i m a q e l manages t o f o r c e i t s e l f upon them a t t h e e x p e n s e o f sound . . . and t h e

n a t 251. e x p e t and 's a l o e d l a t c e p l a h a s c e i n c t h w f

u r a l s e q u e n c e i s V a l e b r a n c h e l a i n e d o r i g i n a l s e m p t a t i o n o f e a s e i d l e n e s s , by t h a " d i s t r a c t i o n , " n e c u l p a b l e b e f o r i v i n e word: t h e t e r e x e r t e d no f o n o t h i n a had t a k e n c e . Here t o o , one i s c u r i o u s l y , b u u s u a l , on t h e s i d and n o t w i t h l n t h l i n a t i o n o f t h e n a r t e d o r deviated:

r e v e r s e d " i n t e a s

( p .

47)Cp.

i n a t t e n t i o n , t h t h a t was Adam t h

n o t h i n q t h e no

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r c e ,

e f f i c a c v , s i n

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F i r s t , t ~ o r d sstrikes

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----------------------- Page 11----------------------D e r r i d a us a s b e i n g s o v e t h i n s t a b l e , b e t t e r s u i t e d t h a n sowzd t o t h e u n i t y o f language t h r o q h o u t t i m e . T h e s a p u r e l y f i c t i t i o u s u n i t y , t h e s u p e r f i c i r i t i ni gs rn uch e a s i e r t o g r a s p t h a n t h e o n r e l l bond, t h e bond o f sound ( p . 46; i t 251. d T h a t " t h e g r a p h i c form k e s u s a s b e i n g s o m e t h i n g permanent and s t a b l e , b e t t sound t o a c c o u n t f o r t h e u n i t y o f l a n g u a g e t h r o u g h o a t n o t a n a t u r a l phenomenon t o o ? I n f a c t a bad i c i a l " and " f i c t i t i o u s " and " e a s y , " e f f a c e s a good s t u r e ; t h a t which t i e s s e n s e t o s o u n d , t h e " t h o u g e l i t y t o t h e t r a d i t i o n t h a t h a s always a s s o c i a t e d h e f a t a l v i o l e n c e o f t h e p o l i t i c a l i n s t i t u t i o n . I t a t t e r , a s w i t h Rousseau f o r example, o f a r u p t u r e a u s u r p a t i o n t h a t was c o u p l e d w i t h t h e t h e o r e t i c t h e n a t u r a l e s s e n c e o f l a n g u a g e , a t any r a t e t o t between t h e " i n s t i t u t e d s i g n s f ' o f v o i c e and " t h e f q permanent a c c o u n t f o r o q k a l l y bond t r u e i t c r e a t o f ~ ~ an

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man," t h e "cry o f n a t u r e ' ' ( S e c o n d D i s c o u r s e ) . S a u s s u r e : "But t h e spoken word i s s o i n t i m a t e l y bound t o i t s w r i t t e n i-ncqe t h a t t h e l a t t e r manages t o u s u r p t h e main r o l e " (p. 45; i t a l i c s mine)Cp. 241. Rousseau: " S c r i p t i s n o t h i n g b u t t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f s p e e c h ; i t i s b i z a r r e t h a t one g i v e s more c a r e t o t h e d e t e r m i n i n g o f t h e i r n a ~ et h a n t o t h e o b j e c t . " S a u s s u r e : "Whoever s a y s t h a t a c e r t a i n l e t t e r must be pronounced a c e r t a i n way i s m i s t a k i n g t h e w r i t t e n imag e o f a sound f o r t h e sound i t s e l f . . . . [Onel a t t r i b u t e c s l t h e o d d i t y [ b i z a r r e r i e l t o an e x c e p t i o n a l p r o n u n c i a t i o n " ( p . 52)Cp. 301 . What i s i n t o l e r a b l e and f a s c i n a t i n g i s i n d e e d t h e i n t i m a c y i n t e r t w i n i n g image and t h i n g , g r a p h and p h o n e , t o t h e p o i n t where bv a m i r r o r i n g , i n v e r t i n g , and p e r v e r t i n g e f f e c t , s p e e c h seems i n i t s t u r n t h e speculum o f w r i t i n g , which "manages t o u s u r p t h e ma in r o l e . R e p r e s e n t a t i o n m i n g l e s w i t h what it r e p r e s e n t s , t o t h e p o i n t where one s p e a k s a s one w r i t e s , . one t h i n k s a s i f t h e r e p r e s e n t e d were n o t h i n g more t h a n t h e shadow o r r e f l e c t i o n o f t h e r e p r e s e n t e r . A d a n g e r o u s p r o m i s c u i t y and a n e f a r i o u s c o m p l i c i t v between t h e r e f l e c t i o n , and t h e r e f l e c t e d which l e t s i t s e l f b e s e d u c e d n a r c i s s i s t i c a l l y . I n t h i s p l a y o f r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , t h e v o i n t of o r i g i n becomes u n g r a s p a b l e . There a r e t h i n g s l i k e r e f l e c t i n g p o o l s , and i m a g e s , a n i n f i n i t e r e f e r e n c e from one t o t h e o t h e r , b u t no l o n g e r a s o u r c e , a s p r i n g . T h e r e i s n o l o n g e r a s i m p l e o r i g i n . F o r what i s r e f l e c t e d i s s p l i t ' i n i t s e l f and n o t o n l y a s an a d d i t i o n t o i t s e l f o f i t s image. The r e f l e c t i o n , t h e image, t h e d o u b l e , s p l i t s what it d o u b l e s . The o r i g i n o f t h e s p e c u l a t i o n becomes a d i f f e r e n c e . What c a n l o o k a t i t s e l f i s n o t o n e ; and t h e law o f t h e a d d i t i o n o f t h e o r i g i n t o i t s r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , - o f t h e t h i n g t o i t s i m a g e , - i s t h a t one p l u s one makes a t l e a s t t h r e e . The h i s t o r i c a l u s u r p a t i o n and t h e o r e t i c a l o d d i t y t h a t i n s t a l l t h e image w i t h i n t h e r i g h t s o f r e a l i t y a r e d e

t e r m i n e d o f a s i m p f o r S a u s p l a c e m e n t e s u l t i s g e t t h a t l e a r n t o ; ~ a t u r a ls 251. The

a s l e s u r i s t h a t h e w r i e q u v i

t h e f o r g e t t i ~ o r i g i n . By Rousseau b u t a l s o e . The d i s h a r d l y anagrammatic: "The r t p e o p l e f o r y l e a r n t o s p e a k b e f o r e t h e y t e and t h e e n c e i s r e v e r s e d " ( p . 47)Cp. o l e n c e of

----------------------- Page 12----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s and Grammatology means, n i f i e s f o

f o r g e t t i n g . W r i t i n g , a mnemotechnic s u p p l a n t i n g good memory, spontaneous memory, s i g r g e t f u l n e s s . I t i s e x a c t l y what P l a t o s a i d i n t h e comparing w r i t i n g t o s p e e c h a s h y p c m n e s i s t o mndm2, i a r y aide-mgmoire t o t h e l i v i n g memory. F o r g e t f u l n e e it i s a m e d i a t i o n and t h e d e p a r t u r e of t h e logos from Without w r i t i n g , t h e l a t t e r would remain i n i t s e l f . i s t h e d i s s i m u l a t i o n of t h e n a t u r a l , p r i m a r y , and immediate e n c e of s e n s e t o t h e s o u l w i t h i n t h e l o g o s . I t s v i o a l l s t h e s o u l a s uncons c i o u s n e s s . D e c o n s t r u c t i n g t h i o n w i l l n o t c o n s i s t o f r e v e r s i n g it, o f making w r i t i n g . Rather of showing why t h e v i o l e n c e of w r i t i n g does a l l an i n n o c e n t languag e. There i s an o r i g i n a r y v i o l e n c e g b e c a u s e languag e i s f i r s t , i n a s e n s e t o b e r e v e a l e s i v e l y , w r i t i n g . "Usurpation" h a s always a l r e a d y The s e n s e o f t h e r i g h t s i d e a p p e a r s i n a m y t h o l o g i c a l r e t u r n . "The s c i e n c e s and t h e a r t s e c t e d t o l i v e w i t h i n t h i s v i o l e n c e , t h e i r "progress" e c r a t e d f o r g e t f u l n e s s and " c o r r u p t e d manners CV oe w s 1 . I T S g a i n anagrammatizes Rousseau: "The l i t e r a r y language o t h e undeserved import a n c e o f w r i t i n g . . . . Thus sumes undeserved import a n c e C m e i - n v o r t a n c e 2 l a q u e l l a pas d r o i t l " (p. 4 7 1 Lp. 251. When l i n g u i s t s become i n a t h e o r e t i c a l mis-

P h a e d r u s , t h e s s a u x i l b e c a u s

i t s e l f . W r i t i n g p r e s l e n c e s b e f

t r a d i t i i n n o c e n t n o t b e f

o f d

w r i t i n p r o g r e s

begun. e f f e c t ' ? have h a s o f e l c o n s a t as n '

a u s s u r e adds w r i t i n g e e Z l e embroiled

t a k n , t h e y t o l l e 4 6 )

i n t h i s a r e a , when t h e y a r e t a k e n i h e y a r e c u l p a b l e , r f a u l t i s above a l l m o r a l ; t h e y have e l d e d t o i m a g i n a t i o n , e n s i b i l i t y , t o p a s s i o n , t h e y have f a i n t o t h e " t r a p " ( p . Cp. 251 of w r i t i n g , have l e t themselves be f a s c i n a t e d by t h e " i n f l u e n c e [ p r e s t i q e l o f t h e w r i t t e n form" ( i b i d ) , o f t h a t s t a b l e custom, t h a t second n a t u r e . "Thus language does have a d e f i n i t e and s t a b l e o r a l t r a d i t i o n t h a t i s independent o f w r i t i n g , b u t t h e i n f l u e n c e c a r e s t i g e l of t h e w r i t t e n form p r e v e n t s o u r s e e i n g t h i s . " We a r e t h u s n o t b l i n d t o t h e v i s i b l e , b u t b l i n d e d by t h e v i s i b l e , d a z z l e d by w r i t i n g . "The f i r s t l i n g u i s t s confused language and w r i t i n g , j u s t a s t h e humanists had done b e f o r e them. Even Bopp . . . . His immediate s u c c e s s o r s f e l l i n t o t h e same t r a p . " Rousseau had a l r e a d y a d d r e s s e d t h e same r e p r o a c h t o t h e Grammarians: "For t h e Grammarians, t h e a r t 0% speech seems t o be v e r y l i t t l e more t h a n t h e a r t o f w r i t i n g . " As u s u a l , t h e " t r a p " i s a r t i f i c e d i s s i m u l a t e d i n n a t u r e . T h i s e x p l a i n s whv The Course i n G e n e r a l L i n g u i s t i c s t r e a t s f i r s t t h i s s t r a n g e e x t e r n a l system t h a t i s w r i t i n g . As n e c e s s a r y preamble t o r e s t o r i n g t h e n a t u r a l t o i t s e l f , one must f i r s t d i s a s s e m b l e t h e t r a p . We r e a d a l i t t l e f u r t h e r on: s u b s t i t u t f o r what i s a r t i f i c i a ; b u t t h i s i s i m p o s s i b l e w i t t h e sounds o f what i s l a n g u a g e ; p h i c s y m h o l s , sounds a r e onZy vague rop p r o v i d e d by w r i t i n g , t h o l l p r e f e r a b l e . The f i r s t l i h i n g a b o u t t h e p h y s i o l o g y o , were c o n s t a n t l y f a l l i n g i n t o o o s e n i n g t h e i r g r i p s n a t u r a l To e l i m m e d i a d e l y what would b e i

e t i i s n

d e s i r a b l e s t u d y i n g t h e i r g r a and t h e p i s s t i n o t

h o u t f i r s t a p a r t from n o t i o n s , u g h

d e c e p t i v e , who knew

n g u i s t s , f a

a r t i c u l a t e d t r a p ; : t o

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t h e l e t t e r m e a n t l o s i n g g r o u n d i t means a f i r s t s t e p i n t h e d i r e c t i o n o f t r u t h (p. 5 5 . Openi n g of t h e c h a p t e r on Phonology) E n . 3 2 3 ; ] t o me, For S a u s s u r e , t o g i v e i n t o t h e " p r e s t i g e o f t h e w r i t t e n form" i s , a s I have j u s t s a i d , t o g i v e i n t o p a s s i o n . I t i s p a s s i o n - - a n d I weigh my w o r d - - t h a t S a u s s u r e a n a l y z e s and c r i t i c i z e s h e r e , a s a m o r a l i s t and a p s y c h o l o g i s t o f a v e r y o l d t r a d i t i o n . As one knows, p a s s i o n i s t y r a n n i c a l and e n s l a v i n g : " P h i l o l o g i c a l c r i t i c i s m i s s t i l l d e f i c i e n t on one p o i n t : i t f o l l o w s t h e w r i t t e n l a n g u a g e s l a v i s h l y and n e g l e c t s t h e l i v i n g l a n g u a g e " ( p . 14) Cp. 1 - 2 1 . "The t y r a n n y o f xzrriting," S a u s s u r e s a y s e l s e w h e r e ( p . 53) Cp. 311. T h a t t y r a n n y i s a t b o t t o m t h e m a s t e r y o f t h e body o v e r t h e s o u l , p a s s i o n i s a p a s s i b i t y and a s i c k n e s s of t h e s o u l , m o r a l p e r v e r s i o n i s p a t h o l o g i c a l . The r e c i p r o c a l e f f e c t o f w r i t i n g on s p e e c h i s "wrong C v i c i e u s e l , " S a u s s u r e s a y s , "such m i s t a k e s a r e r e a l l y p a t h o l o g i c a l " ( p . 5 3 ) [ p . 311. The i n v e r s i o n o f t h e n a t u r a l r e l a t i o n s h i p s would t h u s have e n g e n d e r e d t h e p e r v e r s e c u l t o f t h e l e t t e r - i m a g e : s i n o f i d ~ l a t r y , ~ " s u p e r s t i t i o nf o r t h e l e t t e r , " S a u s s u r e s a y s i n t h e Anagrams, where he h a s d i f f i c u l t y i n p r o v i n g t h e e x i s t e n c e o f a "phoneme a n t e r i o r t o a l l w r i t i n g . " The p e r v e r s i o n o f a r t i f i c e e n g e n d e r s m o n s t e r s . l v r i t i n g , l i k e a l l a r t i f i c i a l l a n g u a g e s one would w i s h t o f i x and remove from t h e l i v i n g h i s t o r y o f t h e n a t u r a l l a n g u a g e , p a r t i c i p a t e s i n t h i s m o n s t r o u s n e s s : I t i s a d e v i a t i o n from n a t u r e . The c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f t h e L e i b n i z i a n t y p e and E s p e r a n t o would be h e r e i n t h e same p o s i t i o n . S a u s s u r e ' s i r r i t a t i o n w i t h s u c h p o s s i b i l i t i e s d r i v e s him t o p e d e s t r i a n c o m p a r i s o n s : "A man p r o p o s i n g a f i x e d l a n g u a g e t h a t p o s t e r i t y would have t o a c c e p t f o r what it i s would be l i k e a h'en h a t c h i n g a d u c k ' s egg" ( p . 1 1 1 )

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And S a u s s u r e n a t u r a l l i f e g e , b u t t h e n a p o n t a n e o u s l i f r o t e c t e d . T h u n t i f i c e x i g e n c a s t e f o r e x a c t c w r i t i n g must d . I n t h i s c a d e a t h , d e s o l a m o n s t r o u s n e s s o g r a p h y must be from t h e n o t a t h e m u l t i p l y i n i t i c a l s i g n s m u e a S p e t i e g

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Are t h e r e g r o u n d s f o r s u b s t i t u t i n a p h o n o l o g i c a l p h a b e t f o r a s y s t e m d l r e a d y i n u s e ? Here I can o n l y b r o a c h t h i s i n t e r e s t i n g s u b j e c t . I t h i n k t h a t p h o n o l o g i c a l w r i t i n g s h o u l d be f o r t h e u s e o f l i n g u i s t s o n l y . F i r s t , how would it b e p o s s i b l e t o make t h e E n g l i s h , Germans, F r e n c h , e t c . a d o p t a d n i f o r m s y s t e m ! W e x t , an a l p h a b e t a p p l i c a b l e t o a l l l a n g u a p e s would p r o b a b l y b e w e i g h e d down by d i a c r i t i c a l m a r k s ; a n d - - t o say n o t h i n g o f t h e d i s t r e s s i n g a p p e a r a n c e o f a page o f o h o n o l o g i c a l w r i t i n g - - a t t e m p t s t o g a i n p r e c i s i o n would o b v i o u s l y c o n f u s e t h e r e a d e r by o b s c u r i n g wh at t h e w r i t i n g was d e s i g n e d t o e x p r e s s . The a d v a n t a g e s would n o t b e s u f f i c i e n t t o c o m p e n s a t e f o r t h e i n c o n v e n i e n c e s . ----------------------- Page 14----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s e r y and Grammatology i s n o t Cp. I 341 t h v

P h o n o l o g i c a l e x a c t i t u d e d e s i r a b l e o u t s i d e s c i e n c e ( p . 57) hope my i n t e n t i s s u r e ' s r e a s o n s I do n o t q u j h i c h he s a y s i t t h o f what S a u s And a s l o n g x p l i c i t p r o b l e m o n is

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r e l a t i o n s h i p s s p e e c h and w r i t i n g , i s n o t e l a b o what he denounces b l i n d p r e j u d i c e o f c l a s s i c a l l i n g o r common e x p e r i e n c e r e m a i n s a b l i n d p r e j u d i c e , on t h e o f a g e n e r a l p o s i t i o n which i s no d o u b t common a c c u s e d and t h e u t o r . I would r a t h e r announce t h e limits and t h e p r e s u p p o s i t i o n s o f what seems h e r e t o be s e l f - e v i d e n t and what seems t o me t o r e t a i n t h e c h a r a c t e r and v a l i d i t y o f e v i d e n c e . The l i m i t s have a l r e a d y begun t o a p p e a r : Why does a p r o j e c t o f g e n e r a l l i n g u i s t i c s , c o n c e r n i n g t h e i n t e r n a l s y s t e m i n genera2 o f language i n g e n e r a l , o u t l i n e t h e l i m i t s o f i t s f i e l d by e x c l u d i n g , a s e x t e r i o r i t y i n g e n e r a l , a p a r t i c u l a r s y s t e m o f w r i t i n g , howeyer i m p o r t a n t i t m i g h t b e , e v e n were it t o be i n f a c t u n i v e r s a l ? A p a r t i c u l a r s y s t e m which h a s p r e c i s e l y f o r i t s p r i n c i p l e o r a t l e a s t f o r i t s d e c l a r e d p r o j e c t t o b e e x t e r i o r t o t h e spoken l a n g u a g e . D e c l a r a t i o n o f p r i n c i p l e , p i o u s w i s h and h i s t o r i c a l v i o l e n c e o f a s p e e c h dreaming i t s f u l l s e l f - p r e s e n c e , l i v i n g i t s e l f a s i t s own r e s u m p t i o n ; s e l f - p r o c l a i m e d l a n g u a g e , a u t o p r o d u c t i o n o f a s p e e c h d e c l a r e d a l i v e ; c a p a b l e , S o c r a t e s s a i d , o f h e l p i n g i t s e l f , a l o g o s which h e l i e v e s i t s e l f t o b e i t s own f a t h e r , b e i n g l i f t e d t h u s above w r i t t e n d i s c o u r s e , i n f a n s and i n f i r m a t n o t b e i n g a b l e t o r e s p o n d when one q u e s t i o n s it and which, s i n c e i t s " p a r e n t i s [ a l w a y s ] needed " ( TOE n a ~ p B q& E X ~ E X T U L $0q80E --Phaedrus 275d) must t h e r e f o r e be b o r n o u t o f a p r i m a r y gap and a p r i m a r y e x p a t r i a t i o n , condemning it t o wanderi n g a n d b l i n d n e s s , t o mourning. S e l f - p r o c l a i m e d l a n g u a g e b u t a c t u a l l y s p e e c h , d e l u d e d i n t o b e l i e v i n g i t s e l f c o m p l e t e l y a l i v e , and v i o l e n t " f o r . . . [it] c a n n o t p r o t e c t o r d e f e n d [ i t s e l f ] " (buvazhc; g2v a p G v a ~ECIUT-) e x c e p t t h r o u g h e x p e l l i n g t h e o t h e r and e s p e c i a l l y i t s own o t \ e r , t h r o w i n g i t o u r s i d e and b e l o w ,

u n d e r t h e name o f w r i t i n i m p o r t a n t i t might b e , and were i t i n f a c t u n i v upon t o become s o , t h a t p a r t i c u l a r model which i n g d o e s n o t e x i s t ; no p r a c t i c e i s e v e r t o t a l l y p r i n c i p l e . Even b e f o r e s p e a k i n g , a s I s h a l l do r a d i c a l and a p r i o r i n e c e s s a r y i n f i d e l i t y , one rk i t s n a s s l v e phenomena i n m a t h e m a t i c a l s c r a t i o n , i n s p a c i n g i n g e n e r a l , which it i s d i f e r s i m p l y a s a c c e s s o r i e s o f w r i t i n g . T h a t a s p e e i v e c a n l e n d i t s e l f t o s p a c i n g i n i t s own w r i t i it o r i g i n a r i l v i n r e l a t i o n t o i t s olin d e a t h . F i n a l l y , t h e " u s u r p S a u s s u r e s p e a k s , t h e v i o l e n c e by which w r i t i n t e i t s e l f f o r i t s own o r i g i n , f o r t h a t which o have e n g e n d e r e d it b u t t o have been e n g e n d e r e d c h a r e v e r s a l o f power c a n n o t b e a n a c c i d e n t a l r p a t i o n n e c e s s a r i l y

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----------------------- Page 15----------------------D e r r i d a r e f e r s us t o a p r o f o u n d p o s s i b i l i t y o f s e n c e . T h i s i s w i t h o u t a d o u b t i n s c r i b e d w i t h i n s p e e c h i t s e l f he s h o u l d h a v e q u e s t i o n e d i t , p e r h a p s even s t a r t e d from it. S a u s s u r e c o n f r o n t s t h e s y s t e m o f t spoken l a n g u a g e w i t h t h e s y s t e m o f p h o n e t i c (and e v e n a l p h a b i c ) w r i t i n g a s w i t h t h e t e l o s o f w r i t i n g . T h i s t e l e o l o g y l d s t o t h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f a l l e r u p t i o n s o f t h e n o n - p h o n e t w i t h i n w r i t i n g a s t r a n s i t o r y c r i s i s and a c c i d e n t o f p a s s a , and i t i s r i g h t t o c o n s i d e r t h i s t e l e o l o g y t o b e an O c c i d e a l e t h n o c e n t r i s m , a p r e m a t h e m a t i c a l p r i m i t i v i s m , and a p r e f o r m i s t i n t u i t i o n i s m . Even i f t h i s t e l e o l o g y r e s p o n d s t o some a b s o t e n e c e s s i t y , i t s h o u l d he p r o b l e m a t i z e d a s s u c h . The s c a n d a l " u s u r p a t i o n t v i n v i t e s u s e x p r e s s l y and i n t r i n s i c a l l y t o do t h e s and h e e t e a i c g e n t a l l u o f a t

. How was t h e t r a p and t h e u s u r p a t i o n p o s s i b l e ? S a u s s u r e n e v e r r e p l i e s t o t h i s q u e s t i o n beyond a p s y c h o l o g y o f t h e p a s s i o n s o r o f t h e i m a g i n a t i o n ; a p s y c h o l o g y r e d u c e d t o i t s most c o n v e n t i o n a l s c h e m a t a . T h i s b e s t e x p l a i n s why a l l l i n g u i s t i c s , a d e t e r m i n e d s e c t o r i n s i d e s e m i o l ;gy, i s p l a c e d u n d e r t h e a u t h o r i t y . a n d s u p e r v i s i o n o f p s y c h o l o g y : To d e t e r m i n e t h e e x a c t p l a c e o f s e m i o l o g y i s t h e t a s k o f t h e p s y c h o l o g i s t " (p. 33) [ p . 1 6 1 . The a f f i r m a t i o n o f t h e e s s e n t i a l and " n a t u r a l " bond between t h e phond and t h e s e n s e , t h e p r i v i l e g e a c c o r d e d t o a n o r d e r o f s i g n i f i e r (which t h e n becomes t h e m a j o r s i g n i f i e d o f a l l o t h e r s i g n i f i e r s ) depend e x p r e s s l y , and i n cont r a d i c t i o n t o t h e o t h e r l e v e l s o f t h e S a u s s u r i a n d i s c o u r s e , upon a p s y c h o l o g y o f c o n s c i o u s n e s s and o f i n t u i t i v e c o n s c i o u s n e s s . What S a u s s u r e d o e s n o t q u e s t i o n h e r e i s t h e e s s e n t i a l p o s s i b i l i t y o f n o n - i n t u i t i o n . L i k e H u s s e r l , S a u s s u r e d e t e r m i n e s t h i s n o n - i n t u i t i o n t e l e o l o g i c a l l y a s c r i s i s . The emp ty symbolism o f t h e w r i t t e n n o t a t i o n - - i n m a t h e m a t i c a l t e c h n i q u e f o r e x a m p l e - - i s a l s o f o r H u s s e r l i a n i n t u i t i o n i s m t h a t which e x i l e s u s f a r . f r o m t h e clear e v i d e n c e o f t h e s e n s e , t h a t i s t o s a y from t h e f u l l p r e s e n c e o f t h e s i g n i f i e d i n i t s t r u t h , and t h u s opens t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f c r i s i s . T h i s i s i n d e e d a c r i s i s o f t h e l o g o s . Nevert h e l e s s , f o r H u s s e r l , t h i s p o s s i b i l i t y r e m a i n s l i n k e d w i t h t h e v e r y movement o f t r u t h and t h e p r o d u c t i o n o f & d e a l o b j e c t i v i t y : i t h a s i n f a c t a n e s s e n t i a l n e e d f o r w r i t i n g . By one e n t i r e a s p e c t o f h i s t e x t , H u s s e r l makes us t h i n k t h a t t h e n e g a t i v i t y o f t h e c r i s i s i s n o t a mere a c c i d e n t . But it i s t h e n t h e c o n c e p t o f c r i s i s t h a t s h o u l d b e s u s p e c t , by v i r t u e o f what t i e s i t t o a d i a l e c t i c a l and t e l e o l o g i c a l d e t e r m i n a t i o n o f n e g a t i v i t y . On t h e o t h e r h a n d , t o a c c o u n t f o r t h e t t u s u r p a t i o n " and t h e o r i g i n o f " p a s s i o n , " t h e c l a s s i c a l and v e r y s u p e r f i c i a l argument o f t h e s o l i d permanence of t h e w r i t t e n t h

i n g , n o t t o b e s i m p l y f a l s e , c a l l s f o r t h d e s c r i p t i o n s which a r e p r e c i s e l y no l o n g e r w i t h i n t h e p r o v i n c e o f p s y c h o l o g y . P s y c h o l o g y w i l l n e v e r b e a b l e t o accommodate w i t h i n i t s s p a c e t h a t w h i c h c o n s t i t u t e s t h e a b s e n c e of t h e s i g n a t o r y , t o s a y n o t h i n g o f t h e a b s e n c e o f t h e r e f e r e n t . W r i t i n g i s t h e name o f t h e s e t wo a b s e n c e s . B e s i d e s , I S i t n o t c o n t r a d i c t o r y t o what i s e l s e w h e r e a f f i r m e d a b o u t t h e o r a l t r a d i t i o n o f l a n g u a g e h a v i n g "a d e f i n i t e and [ f a r morel s t a b l e o r a l t r a d i t i o n t h a t i s i n d e p e n d e n t of w r i t i n g " ( p . 46) , p . 2 4 7 , t o e x p l a i n t h e u s u r p a t i o n b y rlean s of w r i t i n g ' s power of duration, by means o f t h e durnbilitg o f t h e s u b s t a n c e o f ----------------------- Page 16----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s and Grammatology

w r i t i n g ? I f t h e s e two " s t a b i l i t i e s " were of t h e same n a t u r e and i f t h e s t a b i l i t y o f t h e s p o k e n l a n g u a g e w ere s u p e r i o r and i n d e p e n d e n t , t h e o r i g i n o f w r i t i n g , i t s " p r e s t i g e : ' and i t s supposed h a r m f u l n e s s would remain an i n e x p l i c a b l e m y s t e r y . I t seems t h e n a s i f S a u s s u r e w i s h e s a t t h e same t i m e t o d e m o n s t r a t e t h e c o r r u p t i o n o f s p e e c h by w r i t i n g , t o denounce t h e harm t h a t t h e l a t t e r does t o t h e f o r m e r , and t o u n d e r l i n e t h e i n a l t e r a b l e and n a t u r a l i n d e p e n d e n c e o f l a n g u a g e . "Languages a r e i n d e p e n d e n t o f ~ i r i t i n g " ( p . 4 5 ) c p . 243. Such i s t h e t r u t h o f n a t u r e . And y e t n a t u r e i s a f f e c t e d - - f r o m w i t h o u t - - b y an o v e r t u r n i n g which m o d i f i e s it i n i t s i n t e r i o r , d e n a t u r e s i t , and o h l i q e s i t t o be s e p a r a t e d from i t s e l f . N a t u r e d e n a t u r i n g i t s e l f , s e p a r a t i n g from i t s e l f , n a t u r a l l y g a t h e r i n g i t s o u t s i d e i n t o i t s i n s i d e , i s c a t a s t r o p h e , a n a t u r a l e v e n t t h a t o v e r t h r o w s n a t u r e , o r m o n s t r o s i t y , a n a t u r a l d e v i a t i o n l.\iithin n a t u r e . The f u n c t i o n ass umed i n R o u s s e a u ' s d i s c o u r s e by t h e c a t a s t r o p h e ( a s we s h a l l s e e ) , i s h e r e d e l e g a t e d t o m o n s t r o u s n e s s . Let u s c i t e t h e e n t i r e c o n c l u s i o n o f C h a p t e r

V I o f t h e Course o n o f Language"), must be compared o n u n c i a t i o n :

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But t h e t y r a n n y o f w r i t i n g g o e s e v e n f u r t h e r . By i m p o s i n g i t s e l f upon t h e m a s s e s , s p e l l i n g i n f l u e n c e s and m o d i f i e s l a n g u a g e . T h i s happens o n l y i n h i g h l y l i t e r a r y l a n g u a g e s where ~ ~ ~ r i t t e n t e x t s p l a y an i m p o r t a n t r o l e . The n v i s u n l i m a g e s Lead t o m w n g p r o n u n c i a t i o n s ; s u c h m i s t a k e s a r e r e a l l y p a t h o l o g i c a l . S o e l l i n g p r a c t i c e s c a u s e m i s t a k e s i n t h e p r o n u n c i a t i o n o f many French w o r d s . For i n s t a n c e , t h e r e were two s p e l l i n g s f o r t h e surname L e f 2 v r e ( f r o m Z a t i n f a b e r ) , one p o p u l a r and s i m p l e , t h e o t h e r l e a r n e d and e t y m o l o g i c a l : L e f s v r e and L e f g b v r e . Because 2 and uwere n o t k e p t a n u r t i n t h e o l d s y s t e m o f w r i t i n g , L e f s b v r e was r e a d a s Lefhbure, w i t h a b t h a t has n e v e r r e a l l y e x i s t e d and a ut h a t was t h e r e s u l t o f a m b i g u i t y . Vow, t h e l a t t e r form i s a c t u a l l y pronounced ( p . 53-54) [ p . 311. Where i s t h e e v i l ? And what h a i n v e s t e d i n t h e " l i v i n g w o r d , " t h a t s u c h " a g g r e s s i o n s " o f w r a r e i n s u p p o r t a b l e ? What i n v e s t m e n t b e g i n s by d e t e r m i n i n g t h e t a n t a c t i o n o f w r i t i n g a s a d e f o r m a t i o n and an a g p r e s s i o n ? p r o h i b i t i o n h a s t h u s b e e n t r a n s g r e s s e d : ' Where i s t h e s a c e ? I.\rhy s h o u l d t h e mother t o n g u e he p r o t e c t e d from t h e t i o n o f w r i t i n g ? Why d e t e r m i n e t h a t o p e r a t i o n a s a v i o l e n nd why s h o u l d t h e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n be o n l y a d e f o r m a t i o n ? Why u l d t h e m o t h e r - t o n g u e n o t have a h i s t o r y , o r , what comes t same t h i n g , p r o d u c e i t s own h i s t o r y i n a p e r f e c t l y n a t u r a l , t i c , and d o m e s t i c way, w i t h o u t e v e r b e i n g a f f e c t e d by any d e ? lVhy w i s h t o p u n i s h s bee11

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t r o u s c r i m e , t o t h e n o i e s e r v e n s c i e n t i f i c t r e a t m e n t s t a u i s t i c l e p e r - c o l o n y t h a o cont e t h e problem o f d e f o r i t i n g . a t a d i s t a n c e ? For i

----------------------- Page 17----------------------And, i n o r d e r t o b e c o n v i n d t a k e t h e i n n o c e n t q u e s t i o n s t h a t we have j u s l l - - f o r a f t e r a l l L e f 6 b u r e i s n o t a h a d name and t h i s v l a v - - l e t us r e a d t h e f o l l o w i n g . The p a s s a g n s t o u s t h a t t h e " p l a y " i s n o t " n a t u r a l " , and i t s s i m i s t i c : " Y i s p r o n u n c i a t i o n s due t o s p e l l i n g w i e a r more f r e q u e n t l y and a s t i m e g o e s o n , t h e number o n o u n c e d by s p e a k e r s w i l l p r o b a b l y i n c r e a s e . " i n t h e same c o n t e x t , t h e C a p i t a l i s a c c u s e d : "Some a d y pronounce t h e ' t ' i n s e p t fernmes ' s e v e n women1." e. The h i s t o r i c a l s e p a r a t i o n - - f o r it i s i n d e t one must s t o p i n o r d e r t o p r o t e c t l a n g u a g e from w n l y w i d e n : e v e n t h e c e d t we e t h a t h e v e r y e n j o y e x p l a i a r e p e s vroul i

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I t i s c l e a r t h a t t h e c o n c e p t s o f f i permanence, and i o n , which h e r e a s s i s t t h i n k i n g t h e t i o n s h i p s between h and w r i t i n g , a r e t o o l a x and open

t o e v e r y u n c r i t i c a l i n e s t i t u r e . They would r e q t i v e and m i n u t e a n a l y e s . The same i s a p p l i c a b a t i o n a c c o r d i n g t o which "most p e o p l e pay more a t t e i m p r e s s i o n s s i m p l y b e c a u s e t h e s e a r e s h a r p e r and t h a n a u r a l i m p r e s s i o n s " ( p . 4 6 ) cp. 251. T h i s e x p s u r p a t i o n t 1 is n o t o n l y e m p i r i c a l i n i t s f o r m , it i i n i t s c o n t e n t , it r e f e r s t o a m e t a p h y s i c s and o l o g y o f s e n s o r v f a c u l t i e s c o n s t a n t l y d i s p ~ o v e dby by t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f l a n g u a g e and o f t h e body p a g e . I t i m p r u d e n t l y makes o f v i s i b i l i t y t h e t a , and e s s e n t i a l e l e m e n t of ~ v r i t i n g . Above a l l , i n h e a u d i b l e a s t h e n a t u r a l m i l i e u w i t h i n which l a n g u a l l y f r a g m e n t and a r t i c u l a t e i t s i n s t i t u t e d s i g n s , n g i t s a r b i t r a r i n e s s , t h i s e x p l a n a t i o n e x c l u d e s y o f some n a t u r a l r e l a t i o n s h i p between s p e e c h and h e v e r y moment t h a t i t a f f i r m s i t . I n s t e a d o f d e m i s s i n g t h e n o t i o n s o f n a t u r e and i n s t i t u t i o n t h a y u s e s , which o u g h t t o b e done f i r s t , i t t h u s c o n f u s t f i n a l l y and most import a n t l y c o n t r a d i c t s t h e c a p o n a c c o r d i n g t o which " t h e t h i n g t h a t c o n s t i t u e s s s e n t i e l de l a l a n g u e 1 i s . . . u n r e l a t e d t o t h e p h o o f t h e l i n g u i s t i c s i g n " ( p . 21) [ p . 7 1 . T h i s a f f soon occupv u s ; w i t h i n i t t h e o t h e r s i d e o f t h e S a u s i o n denouncing t h e "illusions o f s c r i p t ' ' comes What do t h e s e l i m i t s t i o n s s i g n i f y ? F i r s t t h a t a linguistics i s n o t g a s i t d e f i n e s i t s o u t side and l r l s i d e i n t e r m s o i n g u i s t i c m o d e l s ; a s l o n g a5 i t d o e s n o t r i g o r o u s l y s e n c e from f a c t i n t h e i r v n s n

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----------------------- Page 18----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s and Grammatology

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e c t i v e d e g r e e s o f g e n e r a l i t y . The s y o f w r i t i n g i n geni s n o t e x t e r i o r t o t h e s y s t e m o f l a n e i n g e n e r a l , u n l e s s s g r a n t e d t h a t t h e d i v i s i o n between e i o r and i n t e r i o r e s t h r o u g h t h e i n t e r i o r o f t h e i n t e r i r t h e e x t e r i o r o f e x t e r i o r , t o t h e p o i n t where t h e immanenc o f l a n g u a g e i s s s e n t i a l l y exposed t o t h e i n t e r v e n t i o n o f o r c e s t h a t a r e a p p a r e n t l y a l i e n t o i t s s v s t e m . For t h e s a n e r e a s o n , w r i t i n g i n g e n e r a l i s n o t " ~ r n a g e "o r " f i g u r a t i o n " o f l a n g u a g e i n g e n e r a l , e x c e p t i f t h e n a t u r e , t h e l o g i c , and t h e f u n c t i o n i n g o f t h e image w i t h i n t h e s y s t e m from which one w i s h e s t o e x c l u d e i t be r e c o n s i d e r e d . W r i t i n g i s n o t a s i g n o f a s i g n , e x c e p t i f one s a y s i t o f a l l s i g n s , which would b e more p r o f o u n d l y t r u e . I f a l l s i g n s r e f e r t o one s i g n , and i f " s i g n of a s i g n " s i g n i f i e s writi n g , c e r t a i n c o n c l u s i o n s - - w h i c h I s h a l l c o n s i d e r a t t h e approp r i a t e moment--will become i n e v i t a b l e . Wha t S a u s s u r e saw w i t h o u t s e e i n g , knew w i t h o u t b e i n g a b l e t o r e a l i z e , f o l l o w i n g i n t h a t t h e e n t i r e m e t a p h y s i c a l t r a d i t i o n , i s t h a t a c e r t a i n model o f w r i t i n g was n e c e s s a r i l y b u t p r o v i s i o n a l l y imposed ( b u t f o r t h e i n a c c u r a c y i n p r i n c i p l e , i n s u f f i c i e n c y o f f a c t , and t h k permanent u s u r p a t i o n ) a s i n s t r u m e n t and t e c h n i q u e o f r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f a s y s t e m o f l a n g u a g e . And t h a t t h i s movement, u n i q u e i n s t y l e , was s o p r o found t h a t it p e r m i t t e d t h e t h i n k i n g , w i t h i n l a n g u a g e , o f conc e p t s l i k e t h o s e of t h e s i g n , t e c h n i q u e , r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , l a n g u a g e . The s y s t e m o f l a n g u a g e a s s o c i a t e d w i t h p h o n e t i c - a l p h a b e t i c w r l t i n g i s t h a t w i t h i n which l o g o c e n t r i c m e t a p h y s i c s , d e t e r m i n i n g t h e s e n s e o f b e i n g a s p r e s e n c e , h a s b e e n p r o d u c e d . T h i s l o g o c e n t r i s m , t h i s epoch of t h e f u l l s p e e c h , h a s always p l a c e d i n p a r e n t h e s i s , s u s p e n d e d , and s u p p r e s s e d f o r e s s e n t i a l r e a s o n s , a l l t r e e r e f l e c t i o n on t h e o r i g i n and s t a t u s o f w r i t l n g , a l l s c i e n c e o f w r i t i n g which was n o t t e c h n o l o g y and t

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e h i s t o r y of a t e c h n i u e , i t s e l f l e a n i n g upon a mythology and metaphor o f a n a t u r a l r l t i n g . I t i s t h i s l o g o c e n t r i s m which, i m i t i n g t h e i n t e r n a l y s t e m o f l a n g u a g e i n g e n e r a l by a bad a b t ~ a c t i o n ,p r e v e n t s a u s s u r e and t h e m a j o r i t y o f h i s s u c c e s s o s from d e t e r m i n i n g u l l y and e x p l i c i t l y t h a t which i s c a l l e d " t h e i n t e g r a l and conc r e t e o b j e c t of l i n g u i s t i c s " ( p . 23) Cp.71. But c o n v e r s e l y , a s I announced a b o v e , i t i s when he i s n o t e x p r e s s l y d e a l i n g w i t h w r i t i n g , when he f e e l s he h a s c l o s e d t h e p a r e n t h e s e s on t h a t s u b j e c t , t h a t S a u s s u r e opens t h e f i e l d o f a g e n e r a l grammatology. Which w i l l n o t o n l y no l o n g e r b e e x c l u d e d from g e n e r a l l i n g u i s t i c s , b u t w i l l d o m i n a t e it and w i l l c o n t a i n i t w i t h i n i t s e l f . What was c h a s e d o f f l i m i t s , t h e wandering o u t c a s t o f l i n g u i s t i c s , h a s i n d e e d n e v e r c e a s e d t o h a u n t l a n g u a g e a s i t s p r i m a r y and most i n t i m a t e p o s s i b i l i t y . Something which was n e v e r s p o k e n , and which i s n o t h i n g o t h e r t h a n w r i t i n g i t s e l f a s t h e o r i g i n o f l a n g u a g e w r i t e s i t s e l f w i t h i n S a u s s u r e ' s d i s c o u r s e . We g l i m n s e t h e germ o f a p r o f o u n d h u t i n d i r e c t e x p l a n a t i o n o f u s u r p a t i o n and o f t h e t r a p s condemned i n C h a p t e r V I . T h i s e x p l a n a t i o n will o v e r t h r o w e v e n t h e form of t h e q u e s t i o n t o which it was a p r e m a t u r e r e p l y . ----------------------- Page 19----------------------The O u t s i d e &$ t h e I n s i d e a r i n e s s e a s o n s t i o n o f t The t h e s i s of t h e a r b i t r h e s i g n ( s o g r o s s l y misanmed, and n o t o n l y f o r t h e r u r e h i m s e l f r e c o g n i z e s ) e must f o r b i d a r a d i c a l d i s t i n c t h e l i n g u i s t i c and t h e g r a p h i c s i g n . No d o u b t t h i s r n s o n l y t h e n e c e s s i t y o f r e l a t i o n s h i p s between s p e c e r s and s i q n i f i e d s w i t h i n a n a l l e g e d l y n a t u r a l r e l a t t h e v o i c e and s e n s e i n g e n e r a l , between t h e o r d e r i g n i f i e r s and t h e cont e n t o f t h e s i g n i f i e d s ( " t h e

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, t h e bond o f sound"). Only t h e s e r e l a t i o n s h i p s between s p e c i f i c s i g n i f i e r s and s i g n i f i e d s would b e r e g u l a t e d by a r b i t r a r i n e s s . W i t h i n t h e " n a t u r a l 1 ' r e l a t i o n s h i p between p h o n i c s i g n i f i e r s and t h e i r s i g n i f i e d s i n g e n e r a l , t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between e a c h d e t e r m i n e d s i g n i f i e r and i t s d e t e r m i n e d s i g n i f i e d would be " a r b i t r a r y . " Now from t h e moment t h a t one c o n s i d e r s t h e t o t a l i t y o f det e r m i n e d s i g n s , s p o k e n , a n d , a f o r t i o r i , w r i t t e n , a s u n m o t i v a t e d i n s t i t u t i o n s , one must e x c l u d e a n y - r e l a t i o n s h i p o f n a t u r a l s u b o r d i n a t i o n , any n a t u r a l h i e r a r c h y , among s i g n i f i e r s o r o r d e r s o f s i g n i f i e r s . I f " w r i t i n g " s i g n i f i e s i n s c r i p t i o n and e s p e c i a l l y t h e d u r a b l e i n s t i t u t i o n o f a s i g n ( a n d t h a t i s t h e o n l y i r r e d u c i b l e k e r n e l o f t h e c o n c e p t o f w r i t i n g ) , w r i t i n g i n g e n e r a l c o v e r s t h e e n t i r e f i e l d o f l i n g u i s t i c s i g n s . I n t h a t f i e l d a c e r t a i n s o r t o f i n s t i t u t e d s i g n i f i e r s may t h e n a p p e a r , " g r a p h i c " i n t h e n a r r o w and d e r i v a t i v e s e n s e of t h e word, o r d e r e d hv a c e r t a i n r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h o t h e r i n s t i t u t e d - - h e n c e " w r i t t e n , " e v e n i f t h e y a r e " p h o n i c I 1 - - s i g n i f i e r s . The v e r y i d e a o f i n s t i t u t i o n - - h e n c e o f t h e a r b i t r a r i n e s s o f t h e s i g n - - i s u n t h i n k a b l e b e f o r e t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f w r i t i n g and o u t s i d e o f i t s h o r i z o n . Q u i t e s i m p l y , t h a t i s , o u t s i d e of t h e h o r i z o n i t s e l f , o u t s i d e t h e w o r l d . a s s p a c e o f i n s c r i p t i o n , a s t h e o p e n i n g t o t h e e m i s s i o n and t h e s p a t i a l d i s t r i b u t i o n o f s i g n s , t o t h e r e g u l a s e d p l a y o f t h e i r d i f f e r e n c e s , e v e n i f t h e y a r e "phonic." L e t u s now p e r s i s t i n u s i n g t h i s o p p o s i t i o n o f n a t u r e and i n s t i t u t i o n , o f p h y s i s and nomos (which a l s o means, o f c o u r s e , a r e g u l a t e d d i s t r i b u t i o n and d i v i s i o n , i n f a c t by law) which a m e d i t a t i o n on w r i t i n g s h o u l d d i s t u r b a l t h o u g h it f u n c t i o n s e v e r y where a s s e l f - e v i d e n t , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t h e d i s c o u r s e o f l i n g u i s t i c s . We must c o n c l u d e t h a t o n l v t h e s i g n s c a l l e d n a t u r a l , t h o s e t h a t Hegel and S a u s s u r e c a l l "symbols," e s c a p e s e m i o l o g y a s gram-

m a t o l o g y . But t h e y f a l l a d e t h e f i e l d o f l i n g u i s t i c s a s t h e r e g i o n o f g e n e The t h e s i s o f t h e a r b i t r a r i n e s s o f t h e s i g n t h u t i r r e v o c a b l y c o n t e s t s S a u s s u r e ' s d e c l a r e d i n t e n t s e s w r i t i n g t o t h e o u t e r d a r k n e s s o f l a n g u a g e . T h i s f u l l y a c c o u n t s f o r a c o n v e n t i o n a l r e l a t i o n s h i p e and t h e grapheme ( i n p h o n e t i c w r i t i n g , between s i g n i f i e r - s i g n i f i e d , and t h e grapheme, n u r e s i g t h e same t o k e n i t f o r b i d s t h a t t h e l a t t e r b e a n f o r m e r . Now i t was i n d i s p e n s a b l e t o t h e e x c l u s i s " e x t e r n a l s y s t e m , " t h a t i t come t o impose an r e s e n t a t i o n , " o r a " f i g u r a t i o n , " a n e x t e r i o r r e f l e a l i t y o f l a n g u a g e .

f o r t i o r i r a l u s 'semiology.

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----------------------- Page 20----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s and Grammatology l e a s t , h a b e t . w r i t i n g and s y s t

I t m a t t e r s l i t t l e , h e r e a t h a t t h e r e i s i n f a c t an i d e o g r a p h i c f i l i a t i o n o f t h e a l p T h i s i m p o r t a n t q u e s t i o n i s much d e b a t e d by h i s t o r i a n s o f . \$'hat m a t t e r s h e r e i s t h a t i n t h e s y n c h r o n i c s t r u c t u r e t e m a t i c p r i n c i p l e o f a l p h a b e t i c w r i t i n g - - a n d p h o n e t i c w n g e n e r a l - - n o r e l a t i o n s h i p o f " n a t u r a l " r e p r e s e n t a t i o n f r e s e m b l a n c e o r p a r t i c i p a t i o n , no "symbolic11 r e l a t i o n s h i p e H e g e l i a n - S a u s s u r i a n s e n s e , no " i c o n o g r a p h i c " r e l a t i o t h e P e i r c i a n s e n s e , b e i m p l i e d . One must t h e r e f o r e c h a l l e n g e v e r y name o f t h e a r h i t r a r i n e s s o f t h e s i g n , t h e S a u s s f i n i t i o n o f w r i t i n g a s "imagef1--hence a s n a t u r a l symbol--of g u a q e . U n l e s s t h e phoneme i s t h e u n i m a g i n a b l e i t s e l f , v i s i b i l i t y c a n r e s e m b l e i t , i t s u f f i c e s t o t a k e i n t o a c c S a u s s u r e s a y s a b o u t t h e d i f f e r e n c e between t h e symbol and g n (p. 101) c p . 6 8 - 6 9 1 i n o r d e r t o b e c o m p l e t e l y b a f f l e how he c a n a t t h e same

r i t j . n g i , none i n n s h i p e , i n o t h i n t h d e l a n and o u n t t h e d a s no what s i t o

u r i a n

t i m e s a y o f w r i t i n g t h a t r " f i g u r a t i o n " o f l a n g u a g e and d e f i n e l a n g el'sewhere a s "two d i s t i n c t s y s t e m s of s i g n s " For t h e p r o p e r t y o f t h e s i g n i s n o t t o be a n o c e s s t h a t a l s o engaged Freud i n T h e I n t e r p r e t a t a u s s u r e t h u s a c c u m u l a t e s c o n t r a d i c t o r y arguments s a t i s f a c t o r y d e c i s i o n : t h e e x c l u s i o n o f w r i t i n g w i t h i n s o - c a l l e d phon e t i c w r i t i n g , t h e " g r a p e f e r s t o t h e phoneme t h r o u g h a web o f many d i i n d s i t , l i k e a l l s i g n i f i e r s , t o o t h e r w r i t t e f i e r s , w i t h i n a " t o t a l " s y s t e m o p e n , l e t u s s a y , i n v e s t m e n t s o f s e n s e . We must b e g i n w i t h t h e p a t t o t a l s y s t e m . S a u s s u r e was n e v e r i n k t h a t w r i t i n g was t r u l y a n "image," a " f i g r e s e n t a t i o n " of t h e spoken l a n g u a g e , a symbol. s t h a t he n o n e t h e l e s s needed t h e s e i n a d e q u a t e e upon t h e e x t e r i o r i t y o f w r i t i n g , one must c o n t i r e s t r a t u m o f h i s d i s c o u r s e , t h e i n t e n t i o n o f c R e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f Language"), was n o t a t a iihen I s a y t h i s , my q u a r r y i s n o t p r i m a r i l y s s u r e ' s i n t e n t i o n o r m o t i v a t i o n , b u t r a t h e r t i c a l t r a d i t i o n w h i c h he i n h e r i t s . To what zone s t h i s s t r a n g e f u n c t i o n i n g o f a r g u m e n t a t i o n b e l n c e o f d e s i r e p r o d u c i n g i t s e l f i n a n e a r - o n e i r i c c l a r i f i e s t h e dream r a t h e r t h a n a l l o w i t s e l f by i t - - t h r o u g h a cont r a d i c t o r y l o g i c ? How i n g a r t i c u l a t e d w i t h a l l o f t h e o r e t i c a l d i s c o u r s e h i s t o r y o f s c i e n c e ? B e t t e r y e t , how d o e s i t t h e c o n c e p t of s c i e n c e i t s e l f ? I t i s o n l y when s e l a b o r a t e d - - i f i t i s some day--,when t h e c o n c t h i s f u n c t i o n i n g a r e

it i s u a g e and

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d e f i n e d o u t s i a l l s c i e n c e s o u t s i d e m e t a p rxist" o r " s when one i s a l s o f g e n e r a l a r t i c u l a t i o n , i l l b e a b l e r i g o r o u s l v t h d a l l e g i a n c e ( t h e o r e t i c a l I o b v i o u s l y t S a u s s u r i a n t e i n d e x , a t e l

d e of h y t r b l i t - t o e o f o r r e x t l i

o f a l l p s y c man), s i c s (which u c t u r a l i s t " ) e t o r e s p e c t y and i t i s o n l y t p o s e p r o b e l m o f t a t e x t o t h e r w i s e ) a t t h e a t t h e moment n g example

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----------------------- Page 21----------------------w i t h i n a g i v e n s i t u a t i o n , w i t h o u t p r o f e s s i n g t o u s e t h e c o n c e p t s r e q u i r e d by t h e f u n c t i o n i n g o f which I hav e j u s t s p o k e n . Yy j u s t i f i c a t i o n would b e a s f o l l o w s : t h i s a nd some o t h e r i n d i c e s ( i n a g e n e r a l way t h e t r e a t m e n t o f t h e c o n c e p t o f w r i t i n g ) a l r e a d y g i v e us t h e a s s u r e d means o f b r o a c h i n g t h e d e - c o n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e g r e a t e s t t o t a l i t y - - t h e c o n c e p t o f t h e epist6rn2 and l o g o c e n t r i c m e t a p h y s i c s - - w i t h i n which a r e p r o d u c e d , w i t h o u t e v e r p o s i n g t h e r a d i c a l q u e s t i o n o f w r i t i n g , a l l t h e o c c i d e n t a l n~ethotls o f a n a l y s i s , e x p l i c a t i o n , r e a d i n g , o r i n t e r p r e t a t i o n . Now we must t h i n k t h a t w r i t i n g i s a t t h e same t i m e more ext e r i o r t o s p e e c h , n o t b e i n g i t s "image" o r i t s "symbol," and more i n t e r i o r t o s p e e c h , which i s a l r e a d y i n i t s e l f a w r i t i n g . Even b e f o r e it i s l i n k e d t o i n c i s i o n , e n g r a v i n g , d r a w i n g , o r t h e l e t t e r , t o a s i g n i f i e r r e f e r r i n g i n g e n e r a l t o a s i g n i f i e r s i g n i f i e d by i t , t h e c o n c e p t o f t h e g r a p h i m p l i e s t h e i n s t a n c e o f t h e i n s t i t u t e ? t r a c e , a s t h e p o s s i b i l i t y common t o a l l s y s t e m s o f s i g n i f i c a t i o n . ?ly e f f o r t s w i l l now be d i r e c t e d toward s l o w l y det a c h i n g t h e s e two c o n c e p t s from t h e c l a s s i c a l d i s c o u r s e from which I n e c e s s a r i l y borrow them. The e f f o r t w i l l be l a b o r i o u s and we know a p r i o r i t h a t i t s e f f e c t i v e n e s s w i l l n e v e r b e p u r e and a b s o l u t e . The i n s t i t u t e d t r a c e i s "unmotivated" b u t n o t c a p r i c i o u s .

L i k e u s s u imply l e f s p e a h a s ment" o r u t h a t n t h n e s s t i s s t i t p r e t s i c a

t h e word " a r b i t r a r y " a c c o r d i n g t o S a r e , i t " s h o u l d n o t t h a t t h e c h o i c e of t h e s i g n i f i e r i s t e n t i r e l y t o t h e k e r " (p. 1 0 1 ) cp. 6 8 - 6 9 ] . S i m p l y , it no " n a t u r a l a t t a c h t o t h e s i g n i f i e d w i t h i n r e a l i t y . F s , t h e r u p t u r e of " n a t u r a l a t t a c h m e n t " p u t s i n q u e s t i o e i d e a o f n a t u r a l r a t h e r t h a n t h a t o f a t t a c h m e n t . T h a why t h e word " i n u t i o n " s h o u l d n o t b e t o o q u i c k l y i n t e r e d w i t h i n t h e c l a s l s y s t e m o f o p p o s i t i o n s . The i n s t i t u t e d t r a c e c a n n o t b e t h o u g h t w i t h o u t t h i n k i n g t h e r e t e n t i o n of d i f f e r e n c e w i t h i n a s t r u c t u r e o f r e f e r e n c e where d i f f e r e n c e a p p e a r s a b s u c h and t h u s p e r m i t s a c e r t a i n l i b e r t y o f v a r i a t i o n s among t h e f u l l t e r m s . The a b s e n c e o f a n o t h e r h e r e - a n d now, o f a n o t h e r t r a n s c e n d e n t a l p r e s e n t , o f a n o t h e r o r i g i n o f t h e w o r l d a p p e a r i n g a s s u c h , p r e s e n t i n g i t s e l f a s i r r e d u c i b l e a b s e n c e w i t h i n t h e p r e s e n c e of t h e t r a c e , i s n o t a m e t a p h y s i c a l f o r m u l a s u b s t i t u t e d f o r a s c i e n t i f i c c o n c e p t of w r i t i n g . T h i s f o r m u l a , b e s i d e t h e f a c t t h a t it i s t h e q u e s t i o n i n g o f m e t a p h y s i c s i t s e l f , d e s c r i b e s t h e s t r u c t u r e i m p l i e d by t h e " a r b i t r a r i n e s s of t h e s i g n , " from t h e moment t h a t one t h i n k s o f i t s p o s s i b i l i t y s h o r t of t h e d e r i v e d o p p o s i t i o n between n a t u r e and c o n v e n t i o n , symbol and s i g n , e t c . These o p p o s i t i o n s have mea ning o n l y a f t e r t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f t h e t r a c e . The " u n m o t i v a t e d n e s s " o f t h e s i g n r e q u i r e s a s y n t h e s i s i n which t h e c o m p l e t e l y o t h e r i s announced a s s u c h - - w i t h o u t any s i m p l i c i t v , any i d e n t i t y , any r e s e m b l a n c e o r c o n t i n u i t y - - w i t h i n what i s n o t i t . 1 s ann ounced a s s u c h : t h e r e we have a l l h i s t o r y , from what m e t a p h y s i c s h a s d e f i n e d a s "nonl i v i n g " up t o " c o n s c i o u s n e s s , " p a s s i n g t h r o u g h a l l l e v e l s o f a n i mal o r g a n i z a t i o n . The t r a c e , where t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h t h e o t h e r i s marked, a r t i c u l a t e s i t s n o s s i b i l i t v i n t h e e n t i r e f i e l d o f t h e e x i s t e n t , which m e t a p h y s i c s h a s d e f i n e d a s t h e b e i n g - p r e s e n t s t a r t i n g from t h e o c c u l t e d movement

o f

t h e

t r a c e .

The

t r a c e

----------------------- Page 22----------------------Linguistics and Grammatology must be thought before the existent. But the movement of the

trace is necessarily occulted, it produces itself as self-occultation. When the other announces itself as such, it presents itThis formulation is not The "theo

self in the dissimulation of itself. theological, as one might believe somewhat hastily. -

logical" is a determined moment in the total movement of the trace. The field of the existent, before being determined as the

field of presence, is structured according to the diverse possibilities--genetic and structural--of the trace. on of the other as such, that is to say the dissimulation of its "as such,'' has always already begun and no structure of the existent escapes it. That is why the movement of "unmotivatedness" passes from one structure to the other when the "sign" passes the stage of the "symbol." It is in a certain sense and according to a certain determined structure of the "as such" that one is authorized to say that there is yet no immotivation in what Saussure calls "symbol" and which according to him, does not--at lease provisionally--interest semiology. The general structure of the unmotivated trace connects within the same possibility, and without the possibility of separation except by abstraction, the structure of the relationship with the other, the movement of temporalization, and language as writing. Without referring back to a "nature," the iinmotivation of the trace has always become. In fact, there is no unmotivated trace:the trace is indefinitely its own becoming-unmotivated. In Saussurian language, what Saussure does not say would have to be said: there is neither symbol nor sign but a becoming-sign of the symbol. Also, as it goes without sayin?, the trace whereof I speak is not more n a T u r a l (it is not the mark, the natural sign, or the index in the Husserlian sense) than c u l t u r a l , not more physical than psychic, biological than spiritual. It is that starting from which a becoming-unmotivated of the sign, and with it all the ulterior oppositions between p h y s i s and its other, is possible In his project of semiotics, Peirce seems to have been more attentive than Saussure to the irreducibility of this becomingunmotivated. In his terminologv, one must sveak of a becomingThe presentati

unmotivated of the s y m b o l , the notion of the symbol playing here a role analogous to that of the sign which Saussure opposes precisely to the symbol: Symbols m e n t o u t o f o t h e r s i g n s , p a r t i c z i l a r l y from i c o n s , o r from i c o n s and s y m b o l s . We t h i n k o n l y i n s i g n s . T h e s e m ent a o f new n c e o t s . So l s i g n s a r e of mixed n a t u r e ; t h e symbol p a r t s them a r e c a l l e d c o n c e p t s . I f a man makes a s y m b o l , it i s bi4 t h o u g h t s i n v o l v i n g c o it i s o n l y o u t o f s y m b o l s t h a t a new symbol can 3 v v e syrnbolum de s y r n h o l ~ . ~ mixed s i g n s p a r t a k i n g o f t h e n a t u r e o f grow. They come i n t o b e i n g by d e v e l o p

grow.

Peirce complies with two apparently incompatible exlgencies. The mistake here would be to sacrifice one for the otber. It nust ----------------------- Page 23----------------------11e recogriizetl t h a t t h e s y m c e ' s s e n s e : t h a t o f " t h e a r b i t r a r i n e s s o f t h e s i g n " t h e n o n - s y m b o l i c , i n a n a n t e r i o r and r e l a t e d o r d e r i o n : "Syinbols grow. Thev come i n t o b e i n g b y development h e r s i g n s , p a r t i c u l a r l y from i c o n s , o r from mixed But t h e s e r o o t s must n o t compromise t h e s t r u c t u r a l t h e f i e l d o f s y m b o l s , t h e autonomy o f a domain, and a p l a y : "So i t i s o n l y o u t o f symbols t h a t a n grow. Omne symbolum de symbolo. I' But i n b o t h c a s e s , t h - s y s t e m r e f e r s from s i g n t o s i g n . No ground o f n o n - - u n d e r s t o o d a s i n s i g n i f i c a n c e o r a n i n t u i t i o n o f t h - - s t r e t c h e s o u t t o g i v e i t f o u n d a t i o n u n d e r t h e p l i n t o b e i n g o f s i g n s . S e m i o t i c s no l o n g e r depends o g i c , a c c o r d i n g t o P e i r c e , i s o n l y a s e m i o t i c s : " l , o g r a l s e n s e , i s , a s I b e l i e v e I have shown, o n l y a r s e m i o t i c s ( ~ ~ E L w T L H t h e q u a s i - n e c e s s a r y , o r f o b o l i c ) i s o f ( i n P e i r r o o t e d i n

s i g n i f i c a t o u t o f ." o f o t

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, .

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g e n e

n o t h e r name f o ~ ~ ) , r m a l , d o c t r i n e

of s i g n s . ! ' And l o g i c i t h e c l a s s i c a l s e n s e , l o g a k i n g , " n o n - f o r m a l l o g i c commanded b y t h e v a l u e o s w i t h i n t h a t s e m i o t i c s o n l y a d e t e r m i n e d and n o l e v e l . As i n H u s s e r l ( b u t t h e a n a l o g y , a l t h o u o u g h t - p r o v o k i n g , would s t o p t h e r e and one must y ) , t h e l o w e s t l e v e l , t h e f o u n d a t i o n of t h e p o i c ( o r s e m i o t i c s ) c o r r e sponds t o t h e p r o j e c t o f s p e c u l a t i v e o f Thomas d l E r f u r t , f a l s e l y a t t r i b t u s . L i k e I I u s s e r l , P e i r c e e x p r e s s l y r e f e r s m a t t e r o f e l a b o r a t i n g , i b o t h c a s e s , a f o r m a l d o c o n s which a d i s c o u r s e must s a t i s f y i n o r d e r t o n o r d e r t o "mean," e v e n i f i t i s f a l s e o r c o n t r a n e r a l morphology o f t h a t meaning1 O ( B e d e u i u n g , v o n d e p e n d e n t o f a l l l o g i c o f t r u t h . e

n i c f t g h

" p r o p e r l y t r u t h , a

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f u n d a m e n t a l i t i s most t h

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s s i b i l i t y t h e u t e d t o it. n t r i n e have Grammatica t o Duns I t o f a

S c o i s a

c o n d i t i s e n s e , The i s i g e i

d i c t o r y .

u l o i r - d i r e )

The s c i e n c e o f s e m i o t i c has t h r e b r a n c h e s . The f i r s t i s c a E l e d by Duns S c o t u s gr ammatica s p e c u l a t i v a . b/e may t e r m it p u r e grammar. I t h a s f o r i t s t a s k t o a s c e r t a i n what m u s t b e t r u e o f t h e r e p r e s e n t a m e n u s e d by e v e r y s c i e n t i f i c i n t e l l i g e n c e i n o r d e r t h a t t h e y may embody any meaning. The s e c o n d i s l o g i c p r o p e r . I t i s t h e s c i e n c e o f what i s q u a s i - n e c e s s a r i l y t r u e o f t h e r e p r e s e n t a v i n a o f any s c i e n t i f i c i n t e l l i g e n c e i n o r d e r t h a t t h e y may h o l d good o f any o b j e c t , t h a t i s , may b e t r u e . Or say, l o g i c p r o p e r i s t h e formal s c i e n c e o f t h e c o n d i t i o n s o f t h e t r u t h o f r e p r e s e n t a t i o n s . The t h i r d , i n i m i t a t i o n o f K a n t ' s f a s h i o n o f p r e s e r v i n g o l d a s s o c i a t i o n s o f words i n f i r d i n g n o m e n c l a t u r e f o r new conceptions, I c a l l p u r e r h e t o r i c . i t s t a s k i s t o a s c e r t a i n t h e 'lavs b y zlhich i n e v e r y s c i e n t i f i

i n t e l l i n e n c e

one

t o a n o t h e r , nd e s p e c i a l l u one s i g n g i v e s l i ~ t h ' t ~ u q h tb r i ? 2,s f o r t h n v o t h ~ r ?. 1 ----------------------- Page 24----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s and Grammatology

P e i r c e g o e s v e r y f a r i n t h e d i r e c t i o n t h a t I have c a l l e d t h e d e c o r i s t r u c t i o n o f t h e t r a n s c e n d e n t a l s i g n i f i e d , r i h l c h , a t one t i m e o r a n o t h e r , would p l a c e a r e a s s u r i n g end t o t h e r e f e r e n c e from s i g n t o s i g n . I have i d e n t i f i e d l o g o c e n t r i s m and t h e metap h y s i c s o f p r e s e n c e a s t h e e x i g e n t , p o w e r f u l , s y s t e m a t i c , and irr e p r e s s i b l e d e s i r e f o r s u c h a s i g n i f i e d . Now P e i r c e c o n s i d e r s t h e i n d e f i n i t e n e s s o f r e f e r e n c e a s t h e c r i t e r i o n t h a t a l l o w s us t o r e c o g n i z e t h a t we a r e i n d e e d d e a l i n g w i t h a s y s t e m o f s i g n s . FJhat i n i t i a t e s t h e movement o f s i g n i f i c a t i o n i s what makes i t s i n t e r r u o t i o n i m p o s s i b l e . The t h i n g i t s e l f i s a s i g n . An una c c e p t a b l e p r o p o s i t i o n f o r Ilusser1,whose phenomenology r e m a i n s t h e r e f o r e - - i n i t s " p r i n c i p l e o f n r i n c i p l e s l ' - - t h e most r a d i c a l and most c r i t i c a l r e s t o r a t i o n o f t h e m e t a p h y s i c s o f p r e s e n c e . The d i f f e r e n c e between H u s s e r l ' s and P e i r c e ' s phenomenologies i s f u n d a m e n t a l s i n c e it c o n c e r n s t h e c o n c e p t of t h e s i g n and o f t h e m a n i f e s t a t i o n o f p r e s e n c e , t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p s between t h e r e - p r e s e n t a t i o n and t h e o r i g i n a r y p r e s e n t a t i o n o f t h e t h i n g i t s e l f ( t r u t h ) . On t h i s p o i n t P e i r c e i s u n d o u b t e d l y c l o s e r t o t h e i n v e n t o r o f t h e word phenomenology: Lambert p r o p o s e d i n f a c t t o " r e d u c e t h e t h e o r y o f t h i n g s t o t h e t h e o r y o f s i g n s . " According t o t h e "phaneroscopy" o r "phenomenology" o f P e i r c e , m a n i f e s t a t i o n i t s e l f d o e s n o t r e v e a l a p r e s e n c e , it makes a s i g n . One may r e a d i n t h e P r i n c i p l e o f Phenomenology t h a t " t h e i d e a o f m a n i f e s t a t i o n i s t h e i d e a o f a s i g n . " 1 2 T h e r e i s t h u s no phen o m e n a l i t y r e d u c i n g t h e s i g n o r t h e r e p r e s e n t e r s o t h a t t h e t h i n g

s i g n i f i e d may b e a l l o w e d t o l y i n t h e l u m i n o s i t y of i t s p r e s e n c e . The s o - c a l l e d " t " i s always a l r e a d y a r e presentamen s h i e l d e d from t t y o f i n t u i t i v e e v i d e n c e . The r e p r e s e n t a m e n f u n c t i o n s v i n g r i s e t o a n i n t e r p r e t a n t t h a t i t s e l f becomes a on t o i n f i n i t y . The s e l f i d e n t i t y o f t h e s i g n i f i e d e r a s p t h r o u g h a c o n s t a n t d i s p l a c e m e n t . The p r o p e r t y ewtamen i s t o b e i t s e l f and a n o t h e r , t o be p r o d u c e d t u r e o f r e f e r e n c e , t o b e s e p a r a t e d from i t s e l f . The f t h e r e p r e s e n t a m e n i s n o t t o b e p r o p e r [ p r o p r e ? , t h a t a b s o l u t e l y proximate t o its e l f ( p r o p e , p r o p r i u s ) . The d i s always a l r e a d y a r e presentamen . D e f i n i t i o n o t h i n g b j e c t way, o on

glow h i n g h e

f i n a l i t s e l f s i m p l i c i by and o u r t h e a g i s o g

o n l y s i g n l u d e s o f a s

repres

s t r u c o

p r o p e r t y is t o s a y

r e p r e s e n t e f t h e m i n e s e r i n t o t h e and s i g n : s o m e an same s i n r e n o

t e r p r d e r e d

Anything which d e t e r e l s e ( i t s i n t e r p r e t a n t ) t o r e f t o which i t s e l f r e f e r s ( i t s o b j e c t ) t h i s i n t e r p r e t a n t becoming i n t u r n a s ad i n f i n i t u m .... I f t h e s e r i e s o f s u c e t a n t s comes t o an end t h e s i g n i s i m p e r f e c t , a t l e a s t . ? '

i g n ,

c e s s i v e t h e r b y

From t h e moment t h a t t h t h e r e a r e n o t h i n g b u t s i g n s . We t h i n k o n l y i n s i g amounts t o r u i n i n g t h e not i o n o f t h e s i g n a t t h e v e r y , a s i n N i e t z s c h e , i t s e x i g e n c y i s r e c o g n i z e d i n t h n e s s o f i t s r i g h t . One c o u l d c a l l play t h e a b s e n c e n s c e n d e n t a l s i g n i f i e r a s l i m i t l e s s n e s s o f p l a y , t h a t a s t h e d e s t r u c t i o n o f o n t o t h e o l o g y and t h e m e t a p h y s i c s e . I t i s n o t s u r p r i s i n g g ----------------------- Page 25----------------------t h a t i n c e i t s e r g u i s t h e i . t l f be e f u s t i c s s h o c k , u n d e r m s o r i g i n , l e t s named a s s u c i n g t o bi.nci l i t o s e m a n t i c s

e r e n s . moment e of i s o f

i s

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i n i n g m e t a p h y s i c s h i n n (what t h e p e r i o d a l l European

when,

l i n g u i s t s , from S a u s s u r e t o Iljemslev, s t i l l d o ) , e x p e l l i n g t h e probl em of meaning o u t s i d e of t h e i r r e s e a r c h e s , c e r t a i n American l i n g u i s t s c o n s t a n t l y r e f e r t o t h e model o f a game. Here one must t h i n k o f w r i t i n g a s a game ~ at hi i n l a n g u a g e . (The Phaedrzis ( 2 7 7e) con demned w r i t i n g p r e c i s e l y a s p l a y - - p a i d i a - - a n d opposed s u c h c h i l d i s h n e s s t o t h e a d u l t g r a v i t y ( s p o u d 2 ) o f s p e e c h ) . T h i s p l a y , t h o u g h t a s a b s e n c e o f t h e t r a n s c e n d e n t a l s i g n i f i e d , i s n o t a p l a y i n t h e w o r l d , a s i t h a s always b e e n d e f i n e d , f o r t h e p u r p o s e s o f c o n t a i n i n g i t , by t h e p h i l o s o p h i c a l t r a d i t i o n and a s t h e t h e o r e t i c i a n s o f p l a y a l s o c o n s i d e r it ( o r t h o s e who, f o l l o w i n g and g o i n g beyond B l o o m f i e l d , r e f e r s e m a n t i c s t o p s y c h o l o g y o r some o t h e r l o c a l d i s c i p l i n e ) . To t h i n k p l a y r a d i c a l l y t h e o n t o l o g i c a l a nd t r a n s c e n d e n t a l p r o b l e m a t i c ~must f i r s t b e s e r i o u s l y e z h a u s t e d ; t h e q u e s t i o n o f t h e meaning o f b e i n g , t h e b e i n g o f t h e - e x i s t e n t and o f t h e t r a n s c e n d e n t a l o r i g i n o f t h e w o r l d - - o f t h e w o r l d n e s s o f t h e world--must b e p a t i e n t l y and r i g o r o u s l y worked t h r o u g h , t h e c r i t i c a l movement o f t h e H u s s e r l i a n and H e i d e g g e r i a n q u e s t i o n s must b e e f f e c t i v e l y f o l l o w e d t o t h e v e r y e n d , and t h e i r e f f e c t i v e n e s s and l e g i b i l i t y must b e c o n s e r v e d . Even i f it were c r o s s e d o u t , w i t h o u t i t t h e c o n c e p t s o f p l a y and w r i t i n g t o which I s h a l l have r e c o u r s e w i l l r e m a i n c a u g h t w i t h i n r e g i o n a l limits and a n e m p i r i c i s t , p o s i t i v i s t , o r m e t a p h y s i c a l d i s c o u r s e . 'The counter -move t h a t t h e h o l d e r s o f s u c h a d i s c o u r s e would o f f e r t o t h e p r e - c r i t i c a l t r a d i t i o n and t o m e t a p h y s i c a l s p e c u l a t i o n would h e n o t h i n g b u t t h e w o r l d l y r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f t h e i r own o p e r a t i o n . I t i s t h e r e f o r e t h e game o f t h e wor>ld t h a t must b e f i r s t t h o u g h t ; b e f o r e a t t e m p t i n g t o u n d e r s t a n d a l l t h e forms, o f p l a y i n t h e world.14 From t h e v e r y o p e n i n g o f t h e game, t h e n , w e a r e w i t h i n t h e becoming-unmotivated o f t h e symbol. i t i t h r e g a r d t o t h i s becoming, t h e o p p o s i t i o n o f d i a c h r o n i c and

s y n c h r o n i c i s a l s r i v e d . I t would grammatology p e r l y . The i m m o t i v a now t o be u n d e r s t a n o p e r a t i o n and t j v e movement, a m o t i v a t i o n , and n S c i e n c e o f " t h e t r a r i n e s s o f t h e m o t i v a t i o n o f t h e s c i e n c e of w r i t i n p e e c h , grammatology would t h u s c o v e r l i n g u i s t i c s would s t r a c t l y d e l i n e a t l i m i t s t h a t S a u s p r e s c r i b e s t o i t s must be c a r e f u examined i n e a c h t h e w o r l d and h i By a s u b s t i t t h i n g b u t v e r b a l , may r e p l a c e s e m i o t h e program o f t h Course i n S e n e r a l 1s h a l l . . S i n c e t h e s c i e n c e c a n say wbat it would b e e x i s t e z z e , a p l a c e s t g u i s t i c s i s o n l y a p a r t o . . .; t h e laws d i s o o v e r be app ZicaSZe .

o den o t b e a b l e t o command t i n e n t t i o n o f t h e t r a c e o o o d a s n o t a s a s t a t e , a s deo t a s a g i v e n s t r u c a r h i s i g n , " s c i e n c e o f t t r a c e , g b e f o r e s p e e c h and a e s l s s u l e

a u g h t a n a c

t u r e . h e i n i m s

v a s t f i e l d w i t h i n which abi t s own a r e a , w i t h t h e u r e i n t e r n a l s y s t e m and which l y r e p e e c h / w r i t i n g s y s t e m i n t o r y . t i o n which would be a n y one o g y by grammatology i n L i n p u i s t Z c s : it CgrnrnmatoZogyl y e t it has z z i s t , a . no one t o L i n

c a l l

d o e s n o t ; b u t

r i g h t

a k e d o u t f

in a d v a n c e .

[ t h a t ] g e n e r a l [grammatoEogy 2

s c i e n c e u i l l

e ? by

----------------------- Page 26----------------------Linguistics and Grammatology t o Z i n g u i s t i c s . (p. 3 3 ) Cp. 161. The advantage of this substitution will not only be to give to the theory of writing the scope needed to counter logocentric repression and the subordination to linguistics. It will liberate the semiological project itself from what, in spite of its greater theoretical extension, remained governed by lin guistics, organized as if linguistics were at once its center and its telos. Even t h o u g h s e m i o l o g y was i n f a c t more g e n e r a l and more c o m p r e h e n s i v e t h a n l i n g u i s t i c s , it c o n t i n u e d t o be r e g u l a t e d a s i f i t were one o f t h e a r e a s o.f l i n g u i s t i c s . The l i

n g u i s t i c s i g n remained e x e m p l a r y f o r s e m i o l o g y , it dominated it as the mastersign and as the generative model: the master-model. S i g n s t h a t a r e w h o l l y a r b i t r a r y r e a l i z e b e t t e r t h a n t h e o t h e r s t h e i d e a l o f t h e s e m i o l o g i c a l p r o c e s s ; t h a t i s why l a n g u a g e , t h e m o s t complex and u n i v e r s a l o f a l l s y s t e m s o f e z p r e s s i o n , i s a l s o t h e m o s t c h a r a c t e r i s t i c ; i n t h i s s e n s e Z i n g u i s t i c s can h e come the master-pattern for all branches of semiology a l t h o u g h language i s o n l y one p a r t i c u l a r semio l o g i e a l s y s t e m . (p. 1 0 1 ; italics mine) Cp. 681 Consequently, reconsidering the order of dependence prescribed by Saussure, apparently inverting the relationship of the part to the whole, Barthes in fact carries out the profoundest intention of the C o u r s e : From now on we m u s t a d m i t t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f r e v e r s i n g S a u s s u r e ' s p r o p o s i t i o n some d a y : l i n g u i s t i c s i s n o t a p a r t , e v e n i f p r i v i l e g e d , o f t h e g e n e r a l s c i e n c e o f s i g n s , it i s s e m i o l o g y t h a t i s a p a r t o f l i n g u i s t i c s . 1 5 This coherent reversal, submitting semiology to a "translinguistics," leads to its full explicitness a linguistics historically dominated by logocentric metaphysics, for which in fact there is not and should not be "any meaning except as named" ( i b i d ) . Dominated by the so-called "civilization of writing" that we inhabit, a civilization of so-called phonetic writing, that is to say of the logos where the sense of being is, in its telos, determined as parousia. The Barthesian reversal is fecund and indispensable for the description of the f a c t and t h e v o c a t i o n o f s i g n i f i c a t i o n within the enclosure of this eopch and this civilization in the process of disappearing in its very globalization. Let us now try to go beyond these formal and architectonic considerations. Let us ask in a more intrinsic and concrete way, how language is not merely a sort of writing, "comparable to a system of writing" (p. 33) [p. 161--Saussurewrites curiously-but a species o f writing in the larger sense. Or rather, since writing no longer relates to language as an extension or frontier, let us ask how language is a possibilitv founded on the ----------------------- Page 27----------------------g e n e r a l p o s s i b i l i t y o f w r i t i n g . a t i n g t h i s , one w o ~ l l d D e m o n s t r

become aware a t t h e same e g e d " u s u r p a t i o n " which c o u l d n o t b e an unhappy p o s e s on t h e c o n t r a r y a common r o o t and t h u s e x c a n c e o f t h e "image", d e r i v a t i o n , o r r e p r e s e n t And t h u s one would b r i n back t o i t s t r u e meaning, p o s s i b i l i t v , t h e a p p a r e n t l y i n n o c e n t and d i d a c makes S a u s s u r e s a y : Language i s e x p r e s s i d e a s , a n d i s t h e r s y s t e m o f w r i t i n g , t h e a l p h a b e l i c r i t e s , p o l i t e f o r m u l a s , m But it i s t h e m o s t i m p o r t m s . ( p . 3 3 ; i t a l i c s mine) t

t i m e

o f

t h a t

a l l

a c c i d e n t . l u d e s t h e

I t s u p r e s e m b l

a t i v e r e f l e x i o n . g t o i t s a r i m a r y t i c a n a l o g y which o f s i g n s t o t h a a

a s y s t e m e f o r e t o f

comparable

d e a f - m u t e s , s y m b o e t c . s y s t e

i l i t a r y s i g n a l s , a n t o f [ p . a l l 161 t h e s e

F u r t h e r , it i s n o t by c h a n c e h u n d r e d and t h i r t y p a g e s l a t e r , a t t h e moment o f e x p l p h o n i c d i f f e r e n c e a s t h e c o n d i t i o n o f l i n g u i s t i c v a l u e . a m a t e r i a l v i e w p o i n t " ) l 6, he must a g a i n borrolv a l l h i s p e d a g s o u r c e s from t h e example o f w r i t i n g : S i n c e an i s observable i n w r i t i n n s , we s h a l l u s e w r i t i n g t t h a t i ~ i l le l a r i . f t h e whole 91 r s i d e n t i c a l s t a t e g , o y

t h a t , a i n i n g ("from o g i c

r e

o f

a f f a i o f s i g

a n o t h e r s y s t e m draw some ( p .

c o m p a r i s o n s 165) Cp. 11

i s s u e .

F o u r d e m o n s t r a t i v e i t e m s , b o r r o w i n g a l l t h e i r schemas and t h e i r c o n t e n t from w r i t i n g , f o l l o w . 17 Once more, t h e n , we d e f i n i t e l y have t o opnose S a u s s u r e t o h i m s e l f . B e f o r e b e i n g o r n o t b e i n g " n o t e d , " " r e p r e s e n t e d , " " f i g u r e d , " i n a " g r a p h , " t h e l i n g u i s t i c s i g n i m p l i e s a n ' o r i g i n a r y w r i t i n g . H e n c e f o r t h , i t i s n o t t o t h e t h e s i s o f t h e a r b i t r a r i n e s s o f t h e s i g n t h a t we s h a l l a p p e a l d i r e c t l y , b u t t o what Saus s u r e a s s o c i a t e s w i t h i t a s an i n d i s p e n s a b l e c o r r e l a t i v e and which would seem u s t o l a y t h e

~ i t : t o r a t h e r t h e t h e s i s o f d i f f e r e n c e a s t h e s o u r c e o f l i n g u i s t i c v a l u e . What a r e , from t h e g r a m m a t o l o g i c a l p o i n t o f v i e w , t h e cons e q u e n c e s o f t h i s theme t h a t i s now s o wel l-known ( a n d upon which P l a t o a l r e a d y r e f l e c t e d i n t h e S o p h i s t ) ? By d e f i n i t i o n , d i f f e r e n c e i s n e v e r i n i t s e l f a s e n s i b l e p l e n i t u d e . T h e r e f o r e , i t s n e c e s s i t y c o n t r a d i c t s t h e a l l e g a t i o n o f a n a t u r a l l y p h o n i c e s s e n c e . o f l a n g u a g e . I t c o n t e s t s by t h e same t o k e n t h e s u p p o s e d n a t u r a l dependence o f t h e g r a p h i c s i g n i n i f i e r . T h a t i s a c o n c l u s i o n S a u s s u r e h i m s e l f draws a g a i n s t t h e p r e m i s e s d e f i n i n g t h e i n t e r n a l s y s t e m of l a n g u a g e . He must now e x c l u d e t h e v e r y t h i n g t h i c h had p e r m i t t e d him t o e x c l u d e w r i t i n g : sound and i t s " t r u e bond" [ l i e n n a t u r e 11 w i t h meaning. F o r example: The t h i n as I shoLZ stlow l a t c h a r ~ a c t e r cf t l i n g u i s t i s , i c g t h a t c o n s t i t u t e s language

f o u n d a t i o n s

f o ~

e r , u n r e l a t e d t o ? h e p h g n h e i c s i g n ( p . 21) [ p . 7 1 .

----------------------- Page 28----------------------Linguistics and Grammatology And in a paragraph on difference: T t i s i m p o s s i b l e f o r sound a l o n e , a m a t e r i a l e l e m e n t , t o b e l o n g t o l a n g u a g e . I t i s o n l y a s econda r y t h i n g , s u b s t a n c e t o be p u t t o u s e . A l l o u r conv e n t i o n a l v a l u e s have t h e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f n o t b e i n g c o n f u s e d w i t h t h e t a n g i b l e e l e m e n t w h i c h s u p p o r t s them. . . . The l i n g u i s t i c s i g n i f i e r . . . i s n o t [ i n e s s e n c e 1 p h o n i c b u t i n c o r p o r e a l - - c o n s t i t u t e d n o t by i t s m a t e r i a l s u b s t a n c e b u t t h e d i f f e r e n c e s t h a t separ a t e i t s sound-image from a l l o t h e r s (p. 1 6 4 ) Cp. 1 1 8-1193. The i d e a o r p h o n i c s u b s t a n c

e t h a t a s z g n c o n t a i n s i s o f l e s s i m p o r t a n c e t h a n t h e o t h e r s i g n s t h a t s u r r o u n d i t . (p. 166) [p. 1 2 0 1 Without this reduction of phonic matter, the distinction between language and speech, decisive for Saussure, would have no rigor. It would be the same for the opposi'tions that happened to descend from it: between code and message, schema and usage, etc. Conclusion: "Phonology--this bears repeating--is only an auxiliary discipline [of the science of language3 and belongs exclusively to speaking" (p. 56) [p. 331. Speech thus draws from th is stock of writing, noted or not, that language is, and it is here that one must meditate upon the complicity between the two "stabilities." The reduction of the phonb reveals this complicity. What Saussure says for example about the sign in general and which he "confirms" through the example of writing, applies also to language: "Signs are governed by a principle of general semiology: continuity in time is coupled to change in time; this is confirmed by orthographic systems, the speech of deaf-mutes, etc." (p. 1 1 1 ) Fp. 161. The reduction of phonic substance thus does not only permit the distinction between phonetics on the one hand (and a fortiori the accoustics or the physiology of the phonating organs) and phonology on the other. "auxiliary discipline." It also makes of phonologv itself an Here the direction indicated by Saussure

takes us beyond the phonologism of those who profess to follow him on this point: in fact Jakobson believes the indifference to the phonic substance of expression to be impossible and illegitimate. He thus criticizes the glossematics of Hjelmslev which re-

quires and practices the neutralizing of sonorous substance. And in the text cited above, Jakobson and Halle maintain that the sonorous substance in parenthesis t content) is: 1 . i m p r a c t i c a b l e since, as "Eli Fischer-Jorgensen exposes [it]", "the sonorous substance Cis taken into account1 at every step of the analysis."18a But is that a "troubling discrepancy," as Jakobson and Halle would have it? Can one not account for i t as a fact serving as an example, as do the phenomenologists who always need, keeping it always within sight, an exemplary empirical content in the reading of an essence which is independent of it by right? (as an empirical and contingen

----------------------- Page 29----------------------2 . inadmissible i n p r i n c i p l e s i n c e one c a n n o t c o n s i d e r " t h a t i n l a n g u a g e form i s opposed t o s u b s t a n c e a s a c o n s t a n t t o a v a r i a b l e . " I t i s i n t h e c o u r s e o f t h i s s e c o n d d e m o n s t r a t i o n t h a t t h e l i t e r a l l v S a u s s u r i a n f o r m u l a s r e a p p e a r w i t h i n t h e q u e s t i o n o f t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p s between s p e e c h and w r i t i n g ; t h e o r d e r o f e x t e r i o r i t y , o f t h e " o c c a s i o n a l , " o f t h e " a c c e s s o r y , " o f t h e " a u x i l i a r y , " o f t h e " p a r a s i t i c " (p . 116-1 1 7 ; i t a l i c s mine) Cp. 16-171. The argument o f Jakobson and H a l l e a p p e a l s t o t h e f a c t u a l g e n e s i s and i n v o k e s t h e s e c o n d a r i n e s s o f w r i t i n g i n t h e c o l l o q u i a l s e n s e : "Only a f t e r h a v i n g m a s t e r e d s n e e c h d o e s one g r a d u a t e t o r e a d i n g and w r i t i n g . " Even i f t h i s commonsensical p r o p o s i t i o n were r i g o r o u s l y p r o v e d , - s o m e t h i n g t h a t I do n o t bel i e v e ( s i n c e e a c h o f i t s c o n c e p t s h a r b o r s a n immense p r o b l e m ) , one would s t i l l have t o r e c e i v e a s s u r a n c e o f i t s p e r t i n e n c e t o t h e argument. Even i f " a f t e r " were h e r e a f a c i l e r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , i f one knew p e r f e c t l y w e l l what one t h o u g h t and s t a t e d w h i l e a s s u r i n g t h a t one l e a r n s t o w r i t e a f t e r h a v i n c l e a r n e d t o s p e a k , would t h a t s u f f i c e t o c o n c l u d e t h a t what t h u s comes " a f t e r " i s p a r a s i t i c ? And what i s a p a r a s i t e ? And what i f w r i t i n g were p r e c i s e l y t h a t which makes u s r e c o n s i d e r o u r l o g i c aSout p a r a s i t e s ? I n a n o t h e r moment o f t h e c r i t i q u e , J a k o b s o n and H a l l e r e c a l l t h e i m p e r f e c t i o n o f g r a p h i c r e p r e s e n t a t i o n ; t h a t i m p e r f e c t i o n i s due t o " t h e c a r d i n a l l y d i s s i m i l a r p a t t e r n i n g o f l e t t e r s and phonemes:" L e t t e r s n e v e r , r e p r o d u c e t h e d i f f e r e n t d u r e s on w h i c h t h e phonemic p a and u n f a i l i n g l y d i s r e g a r d t h e t i o n s h i p o f t h e s e f e a t u r e s l y , o r o n l y p a r t i a l

i s t i n c t i v e f e a t t t e r n i s b a s e d r e l a 17

s t r u c t u r a l ( p . 116) Cp.

1. I have s u g g e s t e d i t above: d o e s n o t t h e r a d i c a l d i s s i m i l a r i t y o f t h e two e l e m e n t s - - g r a p h i c and p h o n i c - - e x c l u d e d e r i v a t i o n ? Does n o t t h e i n a d e q u a c i y o f g r a p h i c r e p r e s e n t a t i o n c o n c e r n o n l y common a l p h a b e t i c w r i t i n g , t o which g l o s s e m a t i c f o r m a l i s m d o e s n o t e s s e n t i a l l y r e f e r ? F i n a l l y , i f one a c c c p t s 311 t h e phonol o g i c a l arguments p r e s e n t e d t h u s , it must s t i l l b e r e c o g n i z e d t h a t t h e y oppose a " s c i e n t i f i c " c o n c e p t o f t h e spoken word t o a v u l g a r c o n c e p t o f w r i t i n g . What I would w i s h t o show i s t h a t one c a n n o t e x c l u d e w r i t i n g from t h e g e n e r a l e x p e r i e n c e o f " t h e s t r u c t u r a l r e l a t i o n s h i p o f t h e s e f e a t u r e s . " W hich amounts, o f c o u r s e , t o r e f o r m i n g t h e c o n c e p t o f w r i t i n g . I n s h o r t , i f t h e J a k o b s o n i a n a n a l y s i s i s f a i t h f u l t o S a u s s u r e i n t h i s m a t t e r , i s it n o t e s p e c i a l l y s o t o t h e S a u s s u r e o f C h a p t e r I ? 1Jp t o what p o i n t r~lould S a u s s u r e have m a i n t a i n e d t h e i n s e p a r a b i l i t y o f m a t t e r and f o r m , which r e m a i n s t h e most i m p o r t a n t a r g u ment o f J a k o b s o n and I I a l l e ( p . 117) Cp. 171? The q u e s t i o n may b e r e p e a t e d i n t h e c a s e o f t h e p o s i t i o n o f A ndr6 j l a r t i n e t who, i n t h i s d e b a t e , f o l l o w s C h a p t e r V I o f t h e Cou rse t o t h e l e t t e r . 1 9 .ind o n l y C h a p t e r V I , from which ' f a r t i n e t e x p r e s s l y d i s s o c i a t e s t h e d o c t r i n e o f w h a t , i n t h e C o u r s e , e f f a c e s t h e p r i v i l e g e of p h o n i c s u b s t a n c e . A f t e r h a v i n g e x p l a i n e d why "a dead l a n g u a g e ----------------------- Page 30----------------------1,inguistics and Grammatology with a perfect ideography," that is to say a communication effective through the system of a generalized script, "could not have any real autonomy," and why n e v e r t h e l e s s , "such a system wou ld be something so particular that one can well understand why linguists w a n t t o e x c l u d e it from the domain of their science' ( L a l i n g u i s t i q u e s y n c h r o n i q u e , p. 1 8 ; italics mine), Martinet criticizes those who, following a certain trend in Saussure, question the essentially phonic character of the linguistic sign: ""lany people will he tempted to think that Saussure is right when he announces

that 'the thing that constitutes language C l ' e s s e n t i e l de Za l a n g u e ] is . . . unrelated to the phonic character of the linguistic sign," and, going beyond the teaching of the master, to declare that the linguistic sign does not necessarily have that phonic character" (p. 19) . On that precise point, it is not a question of "going beyond" the master's teaching but of following and extending it. Not to do it is to cling to what in Chapter VI massively limits formal and structural research and contradicts the least contestable findings of Saussurian doctirne. " one risks returning to a point that falls short. I believe that generalized writing is not just the idea of a system to be invented, an hypothetical characteristic or a future possibility. I think on the contrary that oral language But that presupposes a modlfiTo avoid rTgoingbeyond,

already belongs to this writing.

cation of the concept of writing that we for the moment merely anticipate. Even supposing that one is not given that modified

concept, supposing that one is considering a system of pure writing as an hypothesis for the future or a working hvpothesis, faced with that hypothesis, should a linguistics refuse itself the means of thinking it and of integrating its formulation within its theoretical discourse? do so create a theoretical right? Does the fact that most linguists Pfartinet seems to be of that

opinion. After having elaborated a purely lldactylological" hypothesis of language, he writes: I t m u s t b e r e c o g n i z e d t h a t t h e p a r a l l e l i s m b e t w e e n and phonology t h i s " d a c t y l o l ~ g y ' ~ i s c o m p l e t e a s much i n s y n c h r o n i c a s i n d i a c h r o n i c m a t e r i a l , and t h e t e r m i n o l o g y a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e l a t t e r may b e u s e d f o r t h e f o r m e r , e x c e p t o f c o u r s e when t

h e t e r m s r e f e r t o t h e p h o n i c s u b s t a n c e . C l e a r l y , if we do n o t desire t o e x c l u d e from t h e domain o f l i n g u i s t i c s t h e s y s t e m s o f t h e t y p e we have j u s t i m a g i n e d , it i s m o s t i m p o r t a n t t o m o d i f y t r a d i t i o n a l t e r m i n o l o g y r e l a t i v e t o t h e a r t i c u l a t i o n o f s i g n i f i e r s s o a s t o e l i m i n a t e a l l r e f e r e n c e t o p h o n i c s u b s t a n c e ; a s d o e s L o u i s HjelmsZev when he u s e s "ceneme" and N c e n e m a t i c s N i n s t e a d o f "phoneme" and " p h o n e m a t i c s . " Yet it is understandable that the majority of linguists hesitate to modify completely the traditional termnological edifice for the onlv theoretical advantagesofbeing able to Include in the field 01 ----------------------- Page 31----------------------t h e i r s c i e n c e some p u r s y s t e m s . To make them a g r e e t o such a r e v o l u t i o n , t h e y must be persuaded a t t e s t e d l i n g u i s t i c s y s t e m s , t h e y have a g e i n c o n s i d e r i n g t h e p h o n i c s u b s t a n s o f e x p r e s s i o n a s t o be o f d i r e c t i n t 2 0 - 2 1 ; i t a l i c s m i n e ) . e t i c a l Once a g a i n , we do n o t d o u u e of t h e s e p h o n o l o g i c a l a r g u m e n t s , t h e p r e s u p p o s i t i o n s ch I have a t t e m p t e d t o e x p o s e a b o v e . Once one assumes e s u p p o s i t i o n s , i.t would b e a b s u r d t o r e i n t r o d u c e c o n f u r i v a t i v e w r i t i n g i n t h e a r e a o f o r a l l a n g u a g e and w i t h t e m of t h i s d e r i v a t i o n . Without e s c a p i n g e t h n o c e n t r i s m f r o n t i e r s w i t h i n t h e s p h e r e of i t s l e g i t i m a c y would o n f u s e d . I t i s n o t a q u e s t i o n o f r e h a b i l i t a t i n g w r i e n a r r o w s e n s e , n o r of r e v e r s i n g t h e o r d e r o f dependence i t i s e v i d e n t . Phonologism d o e s n o t b r o o k any o b j e c t n g a s one c o n s e r v e s t h e c o l l o q u i a l c o n c e p t s o f s p e e c h g which form t h e s o l i d f a b r i c o f i t s a r g u m e n t a t i o n . and q u o t i d i a n concepe l y h y p o t h

envl s a g e t h a t , n c c e i n

a d v a n t L > f u n i t ( p . v a l whi p r d e s y s t h e be i n when c t h

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besides--uncontradictorily enough--by a n o l d h i s t o r y , l i m i t e d by h a r d l y v i s i b l e y e t a l l t h e more r i g o r o u s f r o n t i e r s . I would w i s h r a t h e r t o s u g g e s t t h a t t h e a l l e g e d d e r i v a t i v e n e s s o f w r i t i n g , however r e a l and m a s s i v e , was p o s s i b l e o n l y on one c o n d i t i o n : t h a t t h e " o r i g i n a l . , " " n a t u r a l " e t c . l a n g u a g e , had n e v e r e x i s t e d , n e v e r been i n t a c t and u n t o u c h e d by w r i t i n g , t h a t i t had i t s e l f always been a w r i t i n ? . An a r c h i - w r i t i n g whose nec e s s i t y and new c o n c e p t I w i s h t o l n d i c a t e and o u t l i n e h e r e ; and which I c o n t i n u e t o c a l l w r i t i n g o n l y b e c a u s e it e s s e n t i a l l y communicates w i t h t h e v u l g a r c o n c e p t o f w r i t i n g . The l a t t e r c o u l d n o t have imposed i t s e l f h i s t o r i c a l l y e x c e p t by t h e d i s s i m u l a t i o n o f t h e a r c h i - w r i t i n g , bv t h e d e s i r e f o r a s p e e c h d i s p l a c i n g i t s o t h e r and i t s d o u b l e and worki ng t o r e d u c e i t s d i f f e r e n c e . I f I p e r s i s t s i n c a l l i n g t h a t d i f f e r e n c e w r i t i n g , it i s b e c a u s e , w i t h i n t h e work o f h i s t o r i c a l r e ~ r e s s i o n ,w r i t i n g was, by i t s s i t u a t i o n , d e s t i n e d t o s i g n i f y t h e m ost d a n g e r o u s d i f f e r e n c e . I t t h r e a t e n e d t h e d e s i r e f o r t h e l i v i n g s p e e c h from t h e c l o s e s t p r o x i m i t y , it e n c r o a c h e d upon l i v i n g s p e e c h from w i t h i n and from t h e v e r y b e g i n n i n g . And a s we s h a l l b e g i n t o s e e , d i f f e r e n c e c a n n o t be t h o u g h t w i t h o u t t h e t r a c e . T h i s a r c h i - w r i t i n g , a l t h o u g h i t s c o n c e p t i s i n v o k e d by t h e themes o f " t h e a r b i t r a r i n e s s o f t h e s i g n " and o f d i f f e r e n c e , cann o t and c a n n e v e r be r e c o g n i z e d a s t h e o b j e c t of a s c i e n c e . I t i s t h a t v e r y t h i n g which c a n n o t l e t i t s e l f b e r e d u c e d t o t h e form of p r e s e n c e . The l a t t e r o r d e r s a l l o b j e c t i v i t y o f t h e o b j e c t and a l l r e l a t i o n o f knolvledge. T h a t i s why what I would be tempted t o c o n s i d e r i n t h e development o f t h e Cou rse a s " p r o g r e s s , " c a l l i n g i n t o q u e s t i o n i n r e t u r n t h e u n c r i t i c a l p o s i t i o n s o f C h a p t e r V I , n e v e r g i v e s r i s e t o a new " s c i e n t i f i c " c o n c e p t o f w r i t i n g . Can one s a y a s much o f t h e a l g e b r a i s m o f H j e l m s l e v , which

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----------------------- Page 32----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s and Grammatology g 5 n ; r a l e t h e p h

The P r i n c i p e s de grammaire (1928) s e p a r a t e d o u t w i t h i n t h e d o c t r i n e o f t h e Course o n o l o g i c a l p r i n c i p l e and t h e p r i n c i p l e o f d i f f e r e n c e . I t d a c o n c e p t of form which p e r m i t t e d a d i s t i n c t i o n between i f f e r e n c e and p h o n i c d i f f e r e n c e , and t h i s even w i t h i n l a n g u a g e (p. 1 1 7 ) . Grammar i s i n d e p e n d e n t o f s e m a n t phonology (p. 1 1 8 ) . T h a t i n d e p e n d e n c e i s t h e v e i p l e o r g l o s s e m a t i c s a s t h e f o r m a l s c i e n c e o f l a n g u a g e . m a l i t v s u p v o s e s t h a t " t h e r e i s no n e c e s s a r y c o n n e c t i o sounds and l a n g u a g e . " 2 0 That f o r m a l i t y i s I t s e l f t h e c o n f a p u r e l y f u n c t i o n a l a n a l y s i s . The i d e a o f a l i n g u i s t i o n and o f a p u r e l y l i n g u i s t i c u n i t - - t h e g l o s s e m e - - e x c l n n o t o n l y t h e c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f t h e s u b s t a n c e o f e x p r e s s t e r i a l s u b s t a n c e ) b u t a l s o t h a t o f t h e s u b s t a n c e o f t h e c o n m a t e r i a l s u b s t a n c e ) . " S i n c e l a n g u a g e i s a form and n o t a n c e ( F . de S a u s s u r e ) , t h e g l o s s e m e s a r e by d e f i n i t i o n e n t o f s u b s t a n c e , immat e r i a l ( s e m a n t i c , p s ~ ~ h o l o g i c a l and m a t e r i a l c a l ) (phoni c , g r a p h i c , e t c . ) . " The s t f G n c t i o n i n g o f l a n g u a g e , o f i t s p l a y , p r e s u p p o s e s t h a t n c e o f meaning a n d , among o t h e r p o s s i b l e s u b s t a n c e , t h a b e p l a c e d i n p a r e n t h e s i s . The u n l t y o f sound and o f s e n d h e r e , a s I p r o p s e d a b o v e , t h e r e a s s u r i n g c l o s i n g H j e l m s l e v s i t u a t e s h i s c o n c e p t o f t h e schema o r p l a y e w i t h i n t h e l i n e a g e o f S a u s s u r e - - o f S a u s s u r e ' s f o r m a s t h e o r y o f v a l u e . A l t h o u g h h e p r e f e r s t o compare v a l u e t o t h e " v a l u e of u d y

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exchange i n t h e economic s c i e n c e s " r a t h e r t h a n t o t h e " p u r e l y l o g i c o - m a t h e m a t i c a l v a l u e , " h e a s s i g n s a l i m i t t o t h i s a n a l o g y . An e c o n o m i c v v a l u e w i t h two f a c e s : n o t o e r o l e o f a c o n s t a n t v i s - 2 - u i s t h e money, b u t it a l s o i t s e l f p l a y s b l e v i s - 2 - v i s a f i x e d auantit?d i c h s e r v e s it a s a s t a n d a r d . I n o t h e r hand t h e r e i s n o t h i n g t h s t a n d a r d . " h a t i s why t h e game e c o n o m i c f a c t r e mains f o r P. de t f a i t h f u l image o f a grammar. g u a g e i s i n t b e l a s t a n a l y s i s more.22 o n a a l u e n l y i s by d o e s d e f i n i t i it p l a y u n i t s o f a t h o f

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I n t h e Prolegomena t o a T h e o r y anguage ( 1 9 4 3 ) , s e t t i n g f o r t h t h e o p p o s i t i o n e x p r e s s i o n / c o n which he s u b s t i t u t e s f o r t h e d i f f e r e n c e s i g n i f i e r / s i g n i f i e d , i n which e a c h t e r m may b e c o n s i d e r e d from t h e p o i n t o f view o o r s u b s t a n c e , H j e l m s l e v c r i t i c i z e s t h e i d e a o f a l a n g u a g e n l l y bound t o t h e s u b s t a n c e o f p h o n i c e x p r e s s i o n . I t i s by m i s t h a t i t h a s h i t h e r t o been s u p p o s e d " t h a t t h e s u b s t a n c e - e x p r e s o f a spoken l a n g u a g e s h o u l d c o n s i s t o f ' s o u n d s ' : " T h u s , a s has Z w i r n e r s i n part i c u l a r , t h e o o k e d t h a t s p e e c h i s accompanied b components of s p e e c h c a n b e r e p l a c t h a t i n r e a l i t y , ~s t h e b e e n f a c t y , e d and b y , p o i n t e d h a s b e e n

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----------------------- Page 33----------------------o - c a l l e d , b u t t h o s p v e r y a l e Z r g a e e c n e l t w n h a h i r n e r s s a y , n o t o n l y t h e s s o f ( t h r o a t , m o u t h , and n o s e ) r l y e s t r i a t e m u s c u l a t u r e c o o p

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t h e e x e r c i s e o f " n a t u r a l " l a n g u t h e r , i t i s p o s s i b l e t o r e p l a c e t h e u s u a n d - g e s t u r e subs t a n c e w i t h any o t h e r t s i t s e l f a s approp r i a t e u n d e r changed e x r c u m s t a n c e s . Thus t h e same l i n g u i s t i c form o be m a n i f e s t e d i n ~ ) r i t i n g ,a s happens w i t i c o r phonemic n o t a t i o n and w i t h t h e s h o n e t i c o r t h o g r a p h i e s , a s f o r example n i s h . Here i s a g r a p h i c " s u b s t a n c e " w h i r e s s e d e x c l u s i v e Zy t o t h e e y e and w h i c h be t r a n s p o s e d i n t o a p h o n e t i c " s u b s t a n c e " t o be g r a s p e d o r u n d e r s t o o d . And t h i s g u b s t a n c e " c a n , p r e c i s e l y from t h e p o i n t o t h e s u b s t a n c e , be o f q u i t e v a r i o u s s o r t s . n " o i n g i o n problem l a n s t i c n what t 4 a d e n t l y means t h e o f h e P a R e f u s i f s u b s t from t h H j e l m s l o u t a l y s i s s . n g a n e e v s i and t o p r e c e s f o l s u b s t a n p l a c e s d e of t of l i s u p p l o w c e o t h i h e a n g u i o s e a

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Moreover it i s n o t a l w a y i s d e r i v e d and what n o t ; we m u s t n o t t h e d i s c o v e r y o f a l p h a b e t i c w r i t i n i n p r e h i s t o r y Cn. : B e r t r a n d R u s s e l l q u c a l l s a t t e n t i o n t o t h e f a c t t h a t we o f d e c i d i n g w h e t h e r w r i t i n g o r s o l d e r form o f human e x p r e s s i o n ( A n h i l o s o p h y , London, 1 9 2 7 , p. 4 7 ) 1 , s s s e r t i o n t h a t i t r e s t s on a p h o n e t i c a n l y one o f t h e p o s s i b l e . d i a c h r o n i c it may a l s o b e r e s t e d on a formal a n n g u i s t i c s t r u c t u r e . But i n any c

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by l i n g u i s t i c s , d i a c h r o n i c c a r e v a n t f o r s y n c h r o n i c d e s c r i 0 5 ) . s m a r e m a r k a b l e a t I same To t

H . J. U l d a l l p r o v i d e f o r m u l a t i o n o f t h e f a c t t h a t g l o s s e m a t i c c r i t i c i s h e same t i m e t h a n k s t o S a u s s u r e and a g a i n s t him; g e s t e d a b o v e , t h e p r o p e r s p a c e o f a grammatology i i m e opened and c l o s e d by The Course i n G e n e r a l L i n ow t h a t S a u s s u r e d i d n o t d e v e l o p " a l l t h e t h e o r e t i s o f h i s d i s c o v e r y , " h e w r i t e s : c o n s i d e r w i d e l y y e a r s e c o n c e t w

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----------------------- Page 34----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s e x i s t e s s i o n s o f one and t o f t h e s e two s u b s t t h e s t r e a m o f i n k , language its e l f , go from one t o t h Zanguage.24 i n g h e a t same t h e same and Grammatology t i m e I f o f a s e x p r

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Undoubtedly s f r e e s a f i e l d s e a r c h : it becomes e n t i o n n o t o n l y p u r i t y o f a form bonds t o a s u b b u t a l s o t o e v e i f i c a t i o n o f l a depends on t h e s s i o n . An o r i g

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r i g o r o u s l y d e l i m i t e d d e s c r i p t i o n of t h i s may t h u s b e p r o m i s e d . FIjelmslev r e c o g n i z e s t h a t a n " a n a l y s i s o f w r i t i n g w i t h o u t r e g a r d t o sound h a s n o t y e t been u n d e r t a k e n " ( p . 10:). While r e g r e t t i n g a l s o t h a t " t h e s u b s t a n c e of i n k h a s n o t r e c e l v e d t h e same a t t e n t i o n on t h e p a r t o f l i n g u i s t s t h a t t h e y h ave s o l a v i s h l y bestowe d on t h e s u b s t a n c e o f a i r , " H . J. U l d a l l ' d e l i m i t s t h e s e p r o b lems a n d e m p h a s i z e s t h e mutual i n d e p e n d e n c e o f t h e s u b s t a n c e s of e x p r e s s i o n . He i l l u s t r a t e s it p a r t i c u l a r l y by t h e f a c t t h a t , i n o r t h o g r a p h y , no grapheme c o r r e s p o n d s t o a c c e n t s o f p r o n u n c i a t i o n ( f o r Rousseau t h i s was t h e m i s e r y and t h e menace of w r i t i n g ) and t h a t , r e c i p r o c a l l y , i n p r o n u n c i a t i o n , no phoneme c o r r e s p o n d s t o t h e s p a c i n g between w r i t t e n words (p. 13- 1 4 ) . R e c o g n i z i n g t h e s p e c i f i c i t y o f w r i t i n g , g l o s s e m a t i c s d i d n o t m e r e l y g i v e i t s e l f t h e means o f d e s c r i b i n g t h e g r a p h i c e l e m e n t . I t showed how t o r e a c h t h e l i t e r a r y e l e m e n t , t o what i n l i t e r a t u r e p a s s e s t h r o u g h a n i r r e d u c i b l y g r a p h i c t e x t , t y i n g t h e p l a y o f form t o a d e t e r m i n e d s u b s t a n c e o f e x p r e s s i o n . I f t h e r e i s s o m e t h i n g i n l i t e r a t u r e which d o e s n o t a l l o w i t s e l f t o b e r e d u c e d t o t h e v o i c e , t o e p o s o r t o p o e t r y , one c a n n o t r e c a p t u r e it exc e p t on t h e c o n d i t i o n o f r i g o r o u s l y i s o l a t i n g t h a t bond t y i n g t h e p l a y o f form t o t h e s u b s t a n c e o f g r a p h i c e x p r e s s i o n . ( I t w i l l by t h e same t o k e n b e s e e n t h a t "pure l i t e r a t u r e , " t h u s r e s p e c t e d i n i t s i r r e d u c i b i l i t y , a l s o r i s k s l i m i t i n g t h e p l a y , r e s t r i c t i n g it. The d e s i r e t o r e s t r i c t p l a y i s i r r e s i s t i b l e . ) T h i s i n t e r e s t 2 5 n l i t e r a t u r e was i n f a c t m a n i f e s t e d by t h e Copenh a g e n S c h o o l . I t t h u s removes t h e R o u s s e a u i s t and S a u s s u r i a n c a u t i o n w i t h r e g a r d t o l i t e r a r y a r t s . I t r a d i c a l i z e s t h e e f f o r t s o f t h e R u s s i a n f o r m a l i s t s , s p e c i f i c a l l y o f t h e O.PO.IAZ, who, i n t h e i r a t t e n t i o n t o t h e b e i n g - l i t e r a r y o f l i t e r a t u r e , p e r h a p s f a v o r e d t h e p h o n o l o g i c a l i n s t a n c e and t h e l i t e r a r y models t h a t it

d o m i n a t e s . w i t h i n t h e l i t e r a t u r e r a r y t e x t i e s c a p e s t h a e s c r i p t i o n and c o n d i t i s h a s p e r h a i s o l a t e d . p a r e d i t s e l t h e p u r e l y u c t u r e o f t t e x t w i t h i n i t e r a r y o f n o t a b l y i n Undoubtedly d t o u n p u f e c u n d r e s e t p a r a l l e l i r e c a p t u r e d s i o n t h a t i

N o t a b l y p o e t r y . T h a h i s t o r y o f and i n t h e s t r u c t u r e n g e n e r a l , t i n s t a n c e , m e r i t s a whose norms o n s o f p o s s i b i l i t y g l p s b e t t e r I t h a s p e r h a p s t h u s b f t o s t u d y g r a p h i c s t r a t u m w i t h i h e l i t e r a r y t h e h i s t o r y o f t h e b l i t e r a l i t y , i t s b a s p n l r m a t " m e s y s

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, . o d e r n i t y . " a new domain i s t h u s opene d and . However i t i s n o t t h a t h a t o f s u b s t a n c e s of e x p r e s t s u s

----------------------- Page 35----------------------p r i m a r i l y . I t i s c l e a r t h c s u b s t a n c e l o s t i t s p r i v i l e g e , it was n o t t o t t h e g r a p h i c s u b s t a n c e , which l e n d s i t s e l f t o t h e o n s . To t h e e x t e n t t h a t i t l i b e r a t e s and i s i r r e f u t i c s s t i l l o p e r a t e s w i t h a p o p u l a r c o n c e p t o f w r i t i i g i n a l and i r r e d u c i b l e i t might b e , t h e "form o f k e d by c o r r e l a t i o n t o t h e g r a p h i c " s u b s t a n c e o f a i n s v e r y d e t e r m i n e d . I t i s v e r y d e p e n d e n t and v w i t h r e g a r d t o t h e a r c h i - w r i t i n g o f which I s h i - w r i t i n g would b e a t work n o t o n l y i n t h e form f g r a p h i c e x p r e s s i o n , b u t a l s o i n t h o s e o f n o n - g o n . I t would c o n s t i t u t e n o t o n l y t h e p a t t e r n u n i t i s u b s t a n c e , g r a p h i c o r o t h e r w i s e , b u t t h e movement u n c t i o n l i n k i n g a cont e n t t o a n e x p r e s s i o n , w h e h i c o r n o t . T h i s theme c o u l d n o t have a p l a c e i n t e m . I t i s b e c a u s e a r c h i - w o f d i f f e r a n ~ e ?i~r r~e d u c i b l e a r c h i - s y n t h e s i s , o i n one and t h e same a t h e same i f t h e p h o n i

a d v a n t a g e o f s u b s t i t u t i

t a b l e , g l o s s e m a n g . However o r

e x p r e s s i o n " l i n e x p r e s s i o n " r e m e r y d e r i v a t i v e T h i s a r c

p e a k . and

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H j e l m s l e v ' s s y s r i t i n g , movement p e n i n g a t o n c e ,

p o s s i b i l i t y , t e m p o r a l i z a t i o n , r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h t h e o t h e r and l a n g u a g e , c a n n o t , a s t h e c o n d i t i o n o f a l l l i n g u i s t i c s y s t e m s , form a p a r t of t h e l i n g u i s t i c s y s t e m i t s e l f , and b e s i t u a t e d a s an o b j e c t i n i t s f i e l d . (Which does n o t mean i t h a s a r e a l f i e l d e l s e w h e r e , a n o t h e r a s s i g n a b l e s i t e . ) I t s c o n c e p t c o u l d i n no way e n r i c h t h e s c i e n t i f i c , p o s i t i v e , and "immanen t" ( i n t h e I l j e l m s l e v i a n s e n s e ) d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e s y s t e m i t s e l f . T h e r e f o r e , t h e f o u n d e r o f g l o s s e m a t i c s would no doubt have q u e s t i o n e d i t s nec e s s i t y , a s he r e j e c t s , en b l o c and l e g i t i m a t e l y , a l l t h e e x t r a l i n g u i s t i c t h e o r i e s which do n o t a r i s e from t h e i r r e d u c i b l e imman e n c e of t h e l i n g u i s t i c s y s t e m . 2 6 He would have s e e n i n t h a t n o t i o n one o f t h o s e a p p e a l s t o e x p e r i e n c e which a t h e o r y s h o u l d d i s p e n s e w i t h . 2 7 He would n o t have u n d e r s t o o d why t h e name w r i t i n g c o n t i n u e d t o be u s e d f o r t h a t X which becomes s o d i f f e r e n t from what h a s always b e e n c a l l e d " w r i t i n g . " I have a l r e a d y begun t o j u s t i f y t h i s word, and e s p e c i a l l y t h e n e c e s s i t y o f t h i s communication between t h e c o n c e p t o f a r c h i w r i t i n g and t h e v u l g a r c o n c e p t o f w r i t i n g s u b m i t t e d t o decons t r u c t i o n by i t . I s h a l l c o n t i n u e t o do s o below. As f o r t h e c o n c e p t o f e x p e r i e n c e , i t i s most unwieldy h e r e . Like a l l t h e n o t i o n s I am u s i n g , it b e l o n g s t o t h e h i s t o r y o f m e t a p h y s i c s and we c a n o n l y u s e i t u n d e r e r a s u r e [ s o u s r a t u r e ] . " E x p e r i e n c e " h a s a l w a y s d e s i g n a t e d t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h a p r e s e n c e , w h e t h e r t h a t r e l a t i o n s h i p had t h e form o f c , o n s c i o u s n e s s o r n o t . A t any r a t e , we m u s t , a c c o r d i n g t o t h i s s o r t o f c o n t o r t i o n and c o n t e n t i o n which t h e d i s c o u r s e i s h e r e o b l i g e d t o u n d e r t a k e , e x h a u s t t h e r e s o u r c e s o f t h e c o n c e p t of e x p e r i e n c e b e f o r e a t t a i n i n g and i n o r d e r t o a t t a i n , by d e c o n s t r u c t i o n , i t s u l t i m a t e f o u n d a t i o n . I t i s t h e o n l y way t o e s c a p e "empiricism1' and t h e " n a i v e " c r i t i q u e s o f e x p e r i e n c e a t t h e same t i m e . Thus, f o r e x a m p l e , t h e e x p e r i -

e n c e whose " t h e o r y , " H j e l m s l e v he i n d e p e n d e n t " i s n o t t h e whole o f e x p e r i e n c e . ~t always p o n d s t o a c e r t a i n t y p e of f a c t u a l o r r e g i o n a l e x p e r i e n i c a l , p s y c h o l o g i c a l , p h y s i o l o g i c a l , s o c i o l o g i c a l , e t g r i s e t o a s c i e n c e t h a t i s i t s e l f r e g i o n a l a n d , a s s u c h l y o u t s i d e l i n g u i s t i c s . T h a t i s n o t s o a t a l l i n t h e c a r i e n c e a s a r c h i - w r i t i n g . ----------------------- Page 36----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s and

s a y s ,

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The p a r e n t h e s i z i n g o f r e g i o n s o f e x p e r i e n c e o r o f t h e t o t a l i t y o f n a t u r a l e x p e r i e n c e must d i s c o v e r a f i e l d o f t r a n s c e n d e n t a l e x p e r i e n c e . T h i s e x p e r i e n c e i s o n l y a c c e s s i b l e i n s o f a r a s , a f t e r h a v i n g , l i k e H j e l m s l e v , i s o l a t e d t h e s p e c i f i c i t y o f t h e l i n g u i s t i c s y s t e m and e x c l u d e d a l l t h e e x t r i n s i c s c i e n c e s and m e t a p h y s i c a l s p e c u l a t i o n s , one a s k s t h e q u e s t i o n o f t h e t r a n s c e n d e n t a l o r i g i n o f t h e s y s t e m i t s e l f , a s a s y s t e m o f t h e o b j e c t s o f a s c i e n c e , a n d , c o r r e l a t i v e l y , o f t h e t h e o r e t i c a l s v s t e m which s t u d i e s it: h e r e o f t h e o b j e c t i v e and " d e d u c t i v e " s y s t e m which g l o s s e m a t i c s w i s h e s t o b e . W i t h o u t t h a t , t h e d e c i s i v e p r o g r e s s a c c o m p l i s h e d by a f o r m a l i s m r e s p e c t f u l o f t h e o r i g i n a l i t y o f i t s o b j e c t , o f " t h e immanent s y s t e m o f i t s o b j e c t s , " i s p l a g u e d by a s c i e n t i f i c i s t o b j e c t i v i s m , t h a t i s t o s a y by a n o t h e r u n p e r c e i v e d o r u n c o n f e s s e d m e t a p h y s i c s . T h i s i s o f t e n n o t i c e a b l e i n t h e work o f t h e Copenhagen S c h o o l . I t is t o e s c a p e f a l l i n g b a c k i n t o t h i s n a i v e o b j e c t i v i s m t h a t I r e f e r h e r e t o a t r a n s c e n d e n t a l i t y t h a t I e l s e w h e r e p u t i n t o q u e s t i o n . I t i s b e c a u s e I b e l i e v e t h a t t h e r e a r e a w i t h i n and a beyond o f t r a n s c e n d e n t a l c r i t i c i s m . To s e e t o it t h a t t h e beyond d o e s n o t r e t u r n t o t h e w i t h i n i s t o r e c o g n i z e i n t h e c o n t o r t i o n t h e n e c e s s i t y o f a pathway C p a r c o u r s l . T h a t pathway must l e a v e a t r a c k i n t h e t e x t . Without t h a t t r a c k , abandoned t o t h e s i m p l e c o n t e n t o f i t s c o

n c l u s i o n s , t h e u l t r a t r a n s c e n d e n t a l t e x t w i l l s o c l o s e l y r e s e m b l e t h e p r e - c r i t i c a l t e x t a s t o be i n d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e f r o m it. We must form and medit a t e now upon t h e law o f t h i s r e s e m b l a n c e . What I c a l l t h e e r a s u r e o f c o n c e p t s o u g h t t o mark t h e p l a c e s o f t h a t f u t u r e m e d i t a t i o n . F o r e x a m p l e , t h e v a l u e o f t h e t r a n s c e n d e n t a l a r c h e C a r c h i e l must make i t s n e c e s s i t y f e l t b e f o r e l e t t i n g i t s e l f b e e r a s e d . The c o n c e p t o f a r c h i - t r a c e must comply w i t h b o t h t h a t n e c e s s i t y and t h a t e r a s u r e . I t i s i n f a c t c o n t r a d i c t o r y and n o t a c c e p t a b l e w i t h i n t h e l o g i c o f i d e n t i t . The t r a c e i s n o t o n l y t h e d i s a p p e a r a n c e o f o r i g i n , - - w i t h i n t i e d i s c o u r s e t h a t we s u s t a i n and a c c o r d i n g t o t h e p a t h t h a t we f o l l o w it means t h a t t h e o r i g i n d i d n o t e v e n d i s a p p e a r , t h a t it was n e v e r c o n s t i t u t e d e x c e p t r e c i p r o c a l l v by a n o n - o r i g i n , t h e t r a c e , which t h u s becomes t h e o r i g i n of t h e o r i g i n . From t h e n o n , t o wrench t h e c o n c e p t o f t h e t r a c e from t h e c l a s s i c a l s cheme which would d e r i v e i t from a p r e s e n c e o r from a n o r i g i n a r v n o n - t r a c e and whlch would make o f it a n e m p i r i c a l mark, one must i n d e e d s p e a k of a n o r i g i n a r y t r a c e o r a r c h i - t r a c e . Yet we know t h a t t h a t c o n c e p t d e s t r o y s i t s name and t h a t , i f aJg b e g i n s w i t h t h e t r a c e , t h e r e i s above a l l no o r i g i n a r y t r a c e . We must t h e n s i t u a t e , a s a s i m p l e moment of t h e d i s c o u r s e , t h e p h e n o m e n o l o g i c a l r e d u c t i o n and t h e H u s s e r l i a n r e f e r e n c e t o a t r a n s c e n d e n t a l e x p e r i e n c e . To t h e e x t e n t t h a t t h e c o n c e p t o f e x p e r i e n c e i n g e n e r a l - - a n d o f t r a n s c e n d e n t a l e x p e r i e n c e , i n H u s s e r l i n p a r t i c u l a r - - r e m a i n s g o v e r n e d by t h e theme o f p r e s e n c e , it n a r t i c i p a t e s i n t h e movement o f t h e r e d u c t i o n o f t h e t r a c e . The L i v i n t P r e s e n t ( l e b e n d i g e Tegzxwart) i s t h e u n i v e r s a l and a b s o l u t e form o f t r - i n s c e n d e n t a l e x p e r i e n c e t o which l-iusserl r e f e r s u s . I n t h e d e s c r i p t l o n s o f t h e movements o f t e m p o r a l i z a t i o n , a l l t h a t d o e s n o t t o r m e n t t h e s i m p l i c i t y and t h e d o m i n a t i o n

o f t h a t form seems t o i n d i c a t e t o u s how much phenomenology b e l o n g s

t r a n s c e n d e n t a l

----------------------- Page 37----------------------t o m e t a p h y s i c s . Iiul I l l a t must coi11e t o e r m s w i t h t h e f o r c e s 01 r u p t u r e . I n t h e o r i g i n a r y t e m p o r a l i z a o n and t h e irlovement of r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h t h e o u t s i d e , a s i i u s r l a c t u a l l y describes them, n o n - p r e s e n t a t i o n o r d e - p r e s e n t a t n i s a s " o r i g i n a r y " a s p r e s e n t a t i o n . T h a t i s why n t h o u g h t o t h e t r a c e c a n no more b r e a k w i t h a t r a n s c e n d e n t 0 2 phenamenoZogy t h a n b e r e d u c e d t o i t . tiere a s e l s e w h e r e , t o p o s e t h e p r o b l e m n t e r m s o f c h o i c e , t o o b l i g e o r t o b e l i e v e o n e s e l f o b l i g e d t answer it by a v e s o r n o , t o c o n c e i v e o f b e l o n g i n g a s an a l l e g i a e o r a s n o n - b e l o n g i n g a s freedom o f s p e e c h , i s t o c o n f u s e v e r y f f e r e n t l e v e l s , p a t h s , and s t y l e s . I n t h e d e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f e a r c h e , one d o e s n o t make a c h o i c e . T h e r e f o r e I admit t h e n e c e s s i t y o g o i n g t h r o u g h t h e c o n c e p t o f t h e a r c h i - t r a c e . H O W d o e s t h a t c o n p t d i r e c t u s from t h e i n t e r i o r of t h e l i n g u i s t i c s y s t e m ? How e s t h e p a t h t h a t l e a d s from S a u s s u r e t o H j e l m s l e v f o r b i d u s t a v o i d t h e o r i g i n a r y t r a c e ? I n t h a t i t s p a s s a g e t h r o u g h form a p a s s a g e t h r o u g h t h e imprint. And t h e meaning o f d i f f e r a n c i n g e n e r a l would be more a c c e s s i b l e t o us i f t h e u n i t y o f t h a t u b l e p a s s l g e a p p e a r e d more c l e a r l y . I n b o t h c a s e s , one must b e g i n from t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f neut r a l i z i n g t h e p h o n i c s u b s t a n c e . On t h e one h a n d , t h e p h o n i c e l e m e , t h e end p o i n t , t h e p l e n i t u d e t h a t i s c a l l e d s e n s i b l e , would n o t a p p e a r a s s u c h w i t h o u t t h e d i f f e r e n c e o r o p p o s i t i o n which i v e s them form. Such i s t h e most e v i d e n t s i g n i f i c a n c e o f t h e a e a l t o d i f f e r e n c e a s t h e r e d u c t i o n o f p h o n i c s u b s t a n c e . Here t a p p e a r i n g and f u n c t i o n i n g o f d i f f e r e n c e p r e s u p p o s e s an o r i g i r y s y n t h e s i s n o t p r e t t i s e i o f

i o n c d i t h f c e d o o i s e d o

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ceded by a n a b s o l u t e s i m p l i c i t y . uld he t h e - o r i g i n a r y t r a c e . Without a r e t e n t i o n i n t u n i t o f t e m p o r a l exp e r i e n c e , ~ i i t h o u ta t r a c e r e t a i n o t h e r a s o t h e r i n t h e same, no d i f f e r e n c e would do i t s no meaning would a p p e a r . I t i s n o t t h e q u e s t l o n of a c o n s d i f f e r e n c e h e r e , b u t r a t h e r , b e f o r e a l l d e t e r m i n a t i o n c o n t e n t , o f t h e pure movement which p r o d u c e s d i f f e r e n ( p u r e ) t r a c e i s d i f f e r a n c e . I t does n o t depend on any p l e n i t u d e , a u d i b l e o r v i s i h l e , p h o n i c o r g r a p h i c . I t h e c o n t r a r y , t h e c o n d i t i o n o f s u c h a p l e n i t u d e . Although e s n o t e x i s t , a l t h o u g h i t i s n e v e r a b e i n g - p r e s e n t o u t s l l p l e n i t u d e , i t s p o s s i b i l i t y i s by r i g h t s a n t e r i o r t o one cal1.s s i g n ( s i g n i f i e d / s i g n i f i e r , c o n t e n t / e x p r e s s i ) , c o n c e p t o r o p e r a t i o n , motor o r s e n s o r y . T h i s d i f f e r a n e r e f o r e n o t more s e n s i b l e t h a n i n t e l l i g i b l e and i t p e r m i t s i c u l a t i o n of s i g n s among t h e m s e l v e s w i t h i n t h e same a b s t r r - - a p h o n i c o r g r a p h i c t e x t f o r e x a m p l e - - o r between two o f e x p r e s s i o n . I ? p e r m i t s t h e a r t i c u l a t i o n o f s p e e c h i n g - - i n t h e c o l l o q u i a l s e n s e - - a s i t f o u n d s t h e m e t a p h y s o s i t i o n h e t ~ ~ ~ et eh ne s e n s i b l e and t h e i n t e l l i g i b l e , t s i g n i f i e r and s i g n i f i e d , e x p r e s s i o n and c o n t e n t , l a n g u a g e were n o t a l r e a d y , i n t h a t s e n s e , a w r i t i n g , v e d iotati ti on" v;ould b e p o s s i b l e ; and t h e c l a s s i c a l problem e l a t i o n s ! l i p s hetween s n e e c h and w r i t i n g c o u l d n o t a r i c o u r s e t h e p o s i t i v e ----------------------- Page 38----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s and n d

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i s i m p o s s i b l e t o have a s c i e n c e o f t h e o r i g i n o f p r e s e n c e i t s e l f , t h a t i s t o s a y o f a c e r t a i n n o n - o r i g i n . D i f f e r a n c e i s t h e r e f o r e t h e f o r m a t i o n o f form. But it i s on t h e o t h e r hand t h e b e i n g - i m p r i n t e d o f t h e i m p r i n t . I t i s w e l l known t h a t S a u s s u r e d i s t i n g u i s h e s between t h e '%sound-image" and t h e o b j e c t i v e sound ( P . 9 8 ) [ p . 663. He t h u s g i v e s h i m s e l f t h e r i g h t t o " r e d u c e , " i n t h e p h e n o m e n o l o g i c a l s e n s e , t h e s c i e n c e s o f a c c o u s t i c s and p h y s i o l o g y a t t h e moment t h a t he i n s t i t u t e s t h e s c i e n c e o f l a n g u a g e . The sound-image i s t h e s t r u c t u r e o f t h e a p p e a r i n g o f t h e sound [ l t a p p a r a F t r e du s on1 which i s a n y t h i n g b u t t h e sound a p p e a r i n g [Ze s o n a p p a r a i s s a n t l . I t i s t h e soundimage t h a t he c a l l s s i g n i f i e r , r e s e r v i n g t h e name s i g n i f i e d n o t f o r t h e t h i n g , t o b e s u r e ( i t i s r e d u c e d by t h e a c t and t h e v e r y i d e a l i t y o f l a n q u a g e ) , b u t f o r t h e "concep't, " u n d o u b t e d l y an unhappy n o t i o n h e r e ; l e t u s s a y f o r t h e i d e a l i t y o f t h e s e n s e . " I p r o p o s e t o r e t a i n t h e word s i g n [ s i g n e l t o d e s i g n a t e t h e whole and t o r e p l a c e c o n c e p t and sound-image r e s p e c t i v e l y bv s i g n i f i e d [ s i g n i f i S l . " The sound-image i s what i s h e a r d ; n o t t h e sound h e a r d b u t t h e b e i n g - h e a r d o f t h e sound. B e i n g - h e a r d i s s t r u c t u r a l l y phenomenal and b e l o n g s t o an o r d e r r a d i c a l l y d i s s i m i l a r t o t h a t o f t h e r e a l sound i n t h e w o r l d . One can o n l y d i v i d e t h i s s u b t l e b u t a b s o l u t e l y d e c i s i v e h e t e r o g e n e i t y by a p h e n o m e n o l o g i c a l r e d u c t i o n . The l a t t e r i s t h e r e f o r e i n d i s p e n s a b l e t o a l l a n a l y s e s o f b e i n g - h e a r d , w h e t h e r t h e y be i n s p i r e d by l i n g u i s t i c , p s y c h o a n a l y t i c , o r o t h e r p r e o c c u p a t i o n s . Now t h e "sound-image," t h e s t r u c t u r e d a p p e a r i n g [ l ' a p p a r a t t r e l o f t h e s o u n d , t h e l ' s e n s o r y m a t t e r " l i v e d and i n f o r m e d hy d i f f e r a n c e , what H u s s e r l would name t h e hyl2/morph2 s t r u c t u r e , d i s t i n c t from a l l mundane r e a l i t v , i s c a l l e d t h e " p s v c h o l o g i c a l image" bv S a u s s u r e : "The l a t t e r [ t h e sound image1 i s n o t t h e m a t e r i a l

s o u n d , a p u r e l y p h v s i c a l t s y c h o l o g i c a l i m p r i n t of t h e s o u n d , t h e i m p r e s s i o n n o u r s e n s e s . The soundimage i s s e n s o r y , and i f I l it ' m a t e r i a l , ' it i s o n l y i n t h a t s e n s e , and hv n g it t o t h e o t h e r t e r m o f t h e a s s o c i a t i o n , t h e c o s g e n e r a l l y more a b s t r a c t " ( p . 9 8 ) [ p . 661. A l t h o u g h c h o l o g i c a l " i s n o t p e r h a p s c o n v e n i e n t , e x e r c i s i n r a p h e n o m e n o l o g i c a l c a u t i o n , t h e o r i g i n a l i t y o s w e l l marked. B e f o r e s p e c i f y i n g i t , t t h i s i s n o t n e c e s s a r i l y what J a k o b s o n and o t h e r l i c r i t i c i z e a s " t h e m e n t a l i s t p o i n t o f v i e w ? I n t h e o back t o Baudouin u r v i v i n g , t h e phoneme t e n d e d , opposed t o t h e e o p h o n e t i c " phenomenon t o t . I t i s t h e m e n t a l e i z e d sound. 2 9 s , going l d e s t de i s a o f

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----------------------- Page 39----------------------A l t h o u g h t h e n o t i o n of t h e " p s y c h o l o g i c a l image" t h u s d e f i n e d ( t h a t i s t o s a y a c c o r d i n g t o a p r e - p h e n o m e n o l o g i c a l p s v c h o l o g y of t h e i m a g i n a t i o n ) i s i n d e e d o f t h i s m e n t a l i s t i n s p i r a t i o n , i t c o u l d be d e f e n d e d a g a i n s t J a k o b s o n ' s c r i t i c i s m bv s p e c i f y i n g : 1 ) t h a t ~t c o u l d be c o n s e r v e d w i t h o u t n e c e s s a r i l y a f f i r m i n g t h a t "our i n t e r n a l s p e e c h . . . i s c o n f i n e d t o t h e d i s t i n c t i v e f e a t u r e s t o t h e e x c l u s i o n o f t h e c o n f i g u r a t i v e , os r e d u n d a n t f e a t u r e s ; " 2 ) t h a t t h e q u a l i f i c a t ~ o np s y c h o Z o g i c a Z i s n o t r e t a i n e d i f i t d e s i g n a t e s e x c l u s i v e l y a n o t h e r n a t u r a l r e a l i t y , i n t e r a a l and n o t e x t e r n a l . Here t h e H u s s e r l i a n c o r r e c t i o n i s i n d i s p e n s a b l e and t r a n s f o r m s even t h e p r e m i s e s o f t h e d e b a t e . R e a l ( r e e l l , n o t r e a l ) component o f l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e , t h e k y l 2 /

m o r p h > s t r u c t u r e i s n o t a r e a l i t y ( R e a l i t z t ) . A s t o t h e i n t e n t i o n a l o b j e c t , f o r example t h e c o n t e n t o f t h e image, it d o e s n o t r e a l l y ( r e e l l ) b e l o n g e i t h e r t o t h e w o r l d o r t o l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e : t h e n o n - r e a l component o f l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e . The p s y c h o l o g i c a l image o f which S a u s s u r e s p e a k s must n o t b e an i n t e r n a l r e a l i t y c o p y i n g a n e x t e r n a l o n e . H u s s e r l , who c r i t i c i z e s t h i s c o n c e t o f " p o r t r a i t " i n I d e e n I shows a l s o i n t h e X r i s i s ( p . 6 3 f I z g a how phenomenoiogv s h o u l d overcome t h e n a t u r a l i s t o p p o s i t i o n , whereby p s y c h o l o g y and t h e o t h e r s c i e n c e s of man s u r v i v e , between " i n t e r n a l " and " e x t e r n a l " e x p e r i e n c e . I t i s t h e r e f o r e i n d i s p e n s a b l e t o p r e s e r v e t h e d i s t i n c t i o n between t h e a p p e a r i n g sound Cle s o n a p p a r a i s s a n t l and t h e a p p e a r i n g o f t h e sound C Z 1 a p p a r a ? t r e du s o n 1 i n o r d e r t o e s c a p e t h e w o r s t and t h e most p r e v a l e n t o f c o n f u s i o n s : and i t i s i n p r i n c i p l e p o s s i b l e t o do it w i t h o u t " a t t e m p t L i n g 1 t o o v e r come t h e antinomy between i n v a r i a n c e and v a r i a b i l i t y by a s s i g n i n g t h e f o r m e r t o t h e i n t e r n a l and t h e l a t t e r t o t h e e x t e r n a l e x p e r i e n c e " ( J a k o b s o n , o p . c i t . , p . 1 1 2 ) [ p . 1 2 1 . The d i f f e r e n c e between i n v a r i a n c e and v a r i a b i l i t y d o e s n o t s e p a r a t e t h e two domains from e a c h o t h e r , it d i v i d e s e a c h o f them w i t h i n i t s e l f . T h a t g i v e s enough i n d i c a t i o n t h a t t h e e s s e n c e o f t h e phon2 c a n n o t be r e a d d i r e c t l y a n d . p r i m a r i l y i n t h e t e x t o f a mundane s c i e n c e , o f a psycho-physio-phonetics. These p r e c a u t i o n s t a k e n , it s o u l d be r e c o g n i z e d t h a t it i s i n t h e s p e c i f i c zone o f t h i s i n p r i n t and t h i s t r a c e , i n t h e t e m p o r a l i z a t i o n o f a l i v e d e x p e r i e v c e w h i c h i s n e i t h e r i n t h e w o r l d n o r i n " a n o t h e r w o r l d , " which i s n o t more s o n o r o u s t h a n l u m i n o u s , n o t more i n t i m e t h a n i n s p a c e , t h a t d i f f e r e n c e s a p p e a r among t h e e l e m e n t s o r r a t h e r p r o d u c e them, make them emerge a s s u c h and c o n s t i t u t e t h e t e x t s , t h e c h a i n s , and t h e s y s t e m s o f t r a c e s . These c h a i n s and s y s t e m s c a n n o t b e o u t l i n e d e x c e p t i n

t h e f a b r i c o f t h i s t r a c e o r i m p r i n t . The u n h e a r d d i f f e r e n c e between t h e a p p e a r i n g and t h e a p p e a r a n c e [ Z ' a p p a r a i s s a n t e t Z'app a r a z t r e I (between t h e "world" and " l i v e d e x p e r i e n c e " ) i s t h e c o n d i t i o n o f a l l o t h e r d i f f e r e n c e s , o f a l l o t h e r t r a c e s , and it i s aZreadu a t r a c e . F u r t h e r , t h i s l a s t c o n c e y t i s a b s o l u t e l y and by r i g h t s " a n t e r i o r " t o a l l p h y s i o l o g i c a i : p r o b l e m a t i c s c o n c e r n i n g t h e n a t u r e o f t h e engramme, o r m e t a p h y s i c a l p r o b l e m a t i c s c o n c e r n l n g t h e meaning o f a b s o l u t e p r e s e n c e whose t r a c e i s t h u s opened t o d e c i p h e r i n g . The t r a c e i s i n f a c t t h e a b s o l u t e o r i g i n o f s e n s e i n g e n e r a l . Which a m o u n t s t o s a y i n g o n c e a g a i n t h a t t h e r e i s no z b s o l u t e o r i g i n of s e n s e i a g e n e r a l . The t r a c e is t h e d i f f e r a n c e ----------------------- Page 40----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s which o p e n s a p p e a r a n c e i g n i f i c a t i o n . A r t i l a i n g t h e l i v i n g upon g n e r a l , o r i g i n o f a l r e e t i t i o n , o r i g i n o f e s n o t more i d e a l t h r e l , n o t more i n t e l l i e , n o t more a t r a n s p a r s i g n i f i c a t i o n t h a n an no c o n c e p t o f m e t a p h y s can d e s c r i b e i t . And i a n t e r i o r t o t h e d i s t t i o n between r e g i o n s o e r i o r t o sound a s much t o l i g h t , i s t h e r e a s n g a " n a t u r a l " h i e r a r c between t h e s o u n d - i m p r and t h e v i s u a l ( g r a p h i i m p r i n t ? The g r a p h i c and t h e a c o u s t i c image i s n o t h e a r d . The d i f e f u l l u n i t i e s of t h e v o i c e r e m a i n s u n h e a r d . n c e i n t h e body o f t h e i n s c r i p t i o n i s i n v i s i b s t e p i a J o i n t [ L a B r i s u r e l You s ~ p p o s e , dreamt i n g l e word f o r of f i n d i n g d e s i g a s h a v e , T a n d Grammatology and i n

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n a t i n g e r e n c e a p s s and a r t i c u l a t i o n . I l o c a t e d i t b y i f I chance d i c t i o n a r y ] o r . i n t , r a t h e r T h i s b r e a k ] p l a y o n i n d i c a t e u o r d i s b r i s u r e - b r o k e n p a r t . r e a c h , f r a c t u r e , m e n t , a i l l e , f a u l t , s p l i t , ~ h r b c h e , c a s s u r e , f e n t e , o f f r a g m e n t . ] --riinged t i c u l a t i o n m e t a l - w o r k . [ h i n g e - j o i n t 1 f . j o i n t . " t t e r ) O r i g i n nd t i m e , t h d i f f e r e n c e , r m i t s t h e d tween s p a c e t o a p p e a r a u n i t y o f a n d o u t o f a p r o p e r Ccorps o n t h e r e f o r g r a p h i c ( " v " ) c h a i n t o p o s s i b l y i n ( " p h o n i c , c h a i n . I t t v o f t h i s t h a t one must c u l a t i o n . T h i s i c o n t r a d i c t i t u s Roger L a p o r t e t z ~ op a r t s o f The o f h i n g e a s h u t t e r . woodi t s d o u b l e have

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o f t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f s p a c e a i s w r i t i n g o f t h i s f a b r i c o f t h e t r a c e , p e i f f e r e n c e b e and t i m e t o be a r t i c u l a t e d , s s u c h , i n t h e e x p e r i e n c e ( o f a "same" l i v e "same" body p r o p r e ] ) . T h i s a r t i c u l a t i e p e r m i t s a i s u a l " o r " t a c t i l e , " " s p a t i a l b e a d a p t e d , a l i n e a r f a s h i o n , t o a spoken " " t e m p o r a l " ) i s from t h e p r i m a r y p o s s i b i l i a r t i c u l a t i o n b e g i n . D i f f e r e n c e i s a r t i s i n d e e d what S a u s s u r e n g C h a p t e r V I : t h e c e o f n . i n v o c a l s a y s , a p p a r a

The q u e s t i o n o f o b v i o u s l y t a k e s a s e c o n d u r y p l a o f s p e e c h C l a n g a g e l . One d e f i n i t i o n e e c h m i g h t c o n f i r m t h a t c o n c l u s i s o i c u l u s means a member, p a r t , o r s u b d i v c e ; a p p l i e d t o s p e e c h ,

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a r t i c u l a t i o n d e s i g n a t e s e i t h e r t s u b d i v i s i o n oS o s p o k e n c h a i n i n t o s y l l a b l e s o r t s u b d i v i s i o n o f t h e c h a i n o f meanings i n t o s i g n i f i c a u n i t s . . . . U s i n g

----------------------- Page 41----------------------t h e second d e f i n i t i o n , we can say t i s n a t u r a l t o mankind i s n o t o r a l speech b u t t he f a c u l t y of cons t r u c t i n g a language; i . e . a system of d i s t i n c t s i g n s corresponding t o d i s t i n c t i d e a s (p. 2 6 ; i t a l i c s mine) Cp. 101 h a t what The i d e a of t h e "mental imprint" t h e r e f o r e r e l a t e s e s s e n t i a l l y t o t h e i d e a of a r t i c u l a t i o n . Without t h e d i f f e r e n c e between t h e sensory appearing [ a p p a r a i s s a n t l and i t s l i v e d appearing CapparaZtre I ("mental i m p r i n t " ) , t h e t e m p o r a l i z i n g s y n t h e s i s , which p e r m i t s d i f f e r e n c e s t o appear i n a cha in of s i g n i f i c a t i o n s , could n o t o p e r a t e . That t h e 'vimprint" i s i r r e d u c i b l e means a l s o t h a t speech i s o r i g i n a r i l y p a s s i v e , b u t i n a sense of p a s s i v i t y t h a t a l l intramundane metaphors would only b e t r a y . This p a s s i v i t y i s a l s o t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p t o a p a s t , t o an always-alreadyt h e r e t h a t no r e a c t i v a t i o n of t h e o r i g i n cou ld f u l l y master and awaken t o presence. This i m p o s s i b i l i t y of reanimating a b s o l u t e l y t h e evidence of an o r i g i n a r y presence r e f e r s us t h e r f o r e t o an a b s o l u t e p a s t . That i s what a u t h o r i z e d us t o c a l l t r a c e t h a t which does n o t l e t i t s e l f be summed up i n t h e s i m p l i c i t y of a p r e s e n t . I t could i n f a c t have been o b j e c t e d t h a t , i n t h e indecomposable s y n t h e s i s of t e m p o r a l i z a t i o n ! p r o t e n t i o n is a s i n d i s pensable a s r e t e n t i o n . And t h e i r two dimension s a r e n o t added up b u t t h e one i m p l i e s t h e o t h e r i n a s t r a n g e f a s h i o n . To be s u r e , what is a n t i c i p a t e d i n p r o t e n t i o n does n o t d i s j o i n t t h e p r e s e n t any l e s s from i t s s e l f - i d e n t i t y t h a n does t h a t which i s r e t a i n e d i n t h e t r a c e . But i f a n t i c i p a t i o n were p r i

v i l e g e d , t h e i r r e d u c i b i l i t y of t h e a l w a y s - a l r e a d y - t h e r e and t h e fundamental p a s s i v i t y t h a t i s c a l l e d time would r i s k effacement. On t h e o t h e r hand, i f t h e t r a c e r e f e r s t o an a b s o l u t e p a s t , it i s because it o b l i g e s us t o t h i n k a p a s t t h a t can no longer be understoo d i n t h e form of a modified p r e s e n c e , a s a p r e s e n t - p a s t . Since p a s t has always s i g n i f i e d p r e s e n t - p a s t , t h e a b s o l u t e p a s t t h a t i s r e t a i n e d i n t h e t r a c e no longer r i g o r o u s l y m e r i t s t h e name "past". .\nother name t o e r a s e , e s p e c i a l l y s i n c e t h e s t r a n g e movemen t of t h e t r a c e proclaims a s much a s it r e c a l l s : d i f f e r a n c e def ers/differs[diff?rel. With t h e same p r e c a u t i o n and under t h e same e r a s u r e , it may be s a i d t h a t i t s p a s s i v i t y i s a l s o i t s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h t h e "fut u r e . " The concepts of p r e s e n t , p a s t , and f u t u r e , e v e r y t h i n g i n t h e concepts of time and h i s t o r y which i m p l i e s evidence o f them-t h e metaphysical concept of time i n general--cann ot adequately d e s c r i b e t h e s t r u c t u r e of t h e t r a c e . And d e c o n s t r u c t i n g t h e s i m p l i c i t y of presence does n o t amount only t o accounting f o r t h e horizons of p o t e n t i a l p r e s e n c e , indeed of a " d i a l e c t i c " of prot e n t i o n and r e t e n t i o n t h a t one would i n s t a l l i n t h e h e a r t of t h e p r e s e n t i n s t e a d of surrounding it with it. I t i s not a m a t t e r of complicating t h e s t r u c t u r e of time while con serving i t s homogene i t y and i t s fundamental s u c c e s s i v i t y , by de monstrating f o r example t h a t t h e p a s t p r e s e n t and t h e f u t u r e p r e s e n t c o n s t i t u t e o r i g i n a r i l y , by d i v i d i n g i t , t h e form of t h e l i v i n g p r e s e n t . Such a complication, which i s i n e f f e c t t h e same t h a t Husserl d e s c r i b e d , a b i d e s , i n s p i t e o f an audacious phenomenological r e d u c t i o n , by t h e evidence and presence of a l i n e a r , o b j e c t i v e , and ----------------------- Page 42----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s a n d mundane model. n s t i t u t e d by t h e Now B would r e t e n b e Grammatology a s s u c h c o

t i o n o f Now A a n d t h e p r o t e n t i o n o f vow C ; i n s p i t e o f a l l t h e p l a y t h a t would f o l l o w from i t , from t h e f a c t t h a t e a c h one o f t h e t h r e e Now-s r e p r o d u c e s t h a t s t r u c t u r e i n i t s e l f , t h i s model o f s u c c e s s i v i t y would p r o h i b i t a Now X from t a k i n g t h e p l a c e o f Now A , f o r e x a m p l e , and would p r o h i b i t t h a t , by a d e l a y t h a t i s i n a d m i s s i b l e t o c o n s c i o u s n e s s , an e x p e r i e n c e b e d e t e r m i n e d , i n i t s v e r y p r e s e n t , by a p r e s e n t which would n o t have p r e c e d e d it i m m e d i a t e l y b u t would b e c o n s i d e r a b l y " a n t e r i o r " t o i t . I t i s t h e problem of t h e d e f e r r e d e f f e c t ( N a c h t r Z g Z i c h k e i t ) o f which F r e u d s p e a k s . The t e m p o r a l i t y t o which h e r e f e r s c a n n o t b e t h a t which l e n d s i t s e l f t o a phenomenology o f c o n s c i o u s n e s s o r o f p r e s e n c e and one may i n d e e d wonder by what r i g h t a l l t h a t i s i n u e s t i o n h e r e s h o u l d s t i l l b e c a l l e d t i m e , now, a n t e r i o r p r e s e n t , % l a y , e t c . I n i t s g r e a t e s t f o r m a l i t y , t h i s immense problem would be formul a t e d t h u s : i s t h e t e m p o r a l i t y d e s c r i b e d by a t r a n s c e n d e n t a l phenomenology a s " d i a l e c t i c a l " a s p o s s i b l e , a ground which t h e s t r u c t u r e s , l e t u s s a y t h e u n c o n s c i o u s s t r u c t u r e s , of t e m p o r a l i t y would s i m p l y modify? O r i s t h e p h e n o m e n o l o g i c a l model i t s e l f c o n s t i t u t e d , a s a warp o f l a n g u a g e , l o g i c , e v i d e n c e , f u n d a m e n t a l s e c u r i t y , upon a woof t h a t i s n o t i t s own? And w h i c h , - - s u c h i s t h e most d i f f i c u l t p r o b l e m - - i s no l o n g e r a t a l l mundane? For it i s n o t by c h a n c e t h a t t h e t r a n s c e n d e n t a l phenomenology o f t h e i n t e r n a l t i m e - c o n s c i o u s n e s s , s o c a r e f u l t o p l a c e cosmic t i m e w i t h i n b r a c k e t s , m u s t , a s c o n s c i o u s n e s s an d even a s i n t e r n a l c o n s c i o u s n e s s , l i v e a t i m e t h a t i s an a c c o m p l i c e o f t h e t i m e o f t h e w o r l d . Between c o n s c i o u s n e s s , p e r c e p t i o n ( i n t e r n a l o r ext e r n a l ) , and t h e "world," t h e r u p t u r e , e v e n i n t h e s u b t l e form o f t h e r e d u c t i o n , i s p e r h a p s n o t p o s s i b l e . I t i s i n a c e r t a i n "unheard" s e n s e , t h e n , t h a t s p e e c h i s i n t h e w o r l d , r o o t e d i n t h a t p a s s i v i t y which

m e t a p h y s i c s c a l l s sens i b i l i t y i n g e n e r a l . S i n c e t h e r e i 4 no n o n - m e t a p h o r i c l a n g u a g e t o oppose t o m e t a p h o r s h e r e , one m u s t , a s Bergson w i s h e d , m u l t i p l y a n t a g o n i s t i c m e t a p h o r s . "Wish s e n s i b i l i z e d , " i s how Maine de B i r a n , w i t h a s l i g h t l y d i f f e r e n t i n t e n t i o n , named t h e v o c a l i c word. T h a t t h e l o g o s b e f i r s t i m p r i n t e d and t h a t t h a t i m p r i n t b e t h e w r i t i n g - r e s o u r c e o f l a n g u a g e , s i g n i f i e s , t o b e s u r e , t h a t t h e l o g o s i s n o t a c r e a t i v e a c t i v i t y , t h e c o n t i n u o u s f u l l e l e m e n t o f t h e d i v i n e word, e t c . But it would n o t me an a s i n g l e s t e p o u t s i d e o f m e t a p h y s i c s i f o n l y a new m o t i f o f " r e t u r n t o f i n i t u d e , " o f q G o d ' s d e a t h , " e t c . , were t h e r e s u l t o f t h i s move. I t i s t h a t c o n c e p t u a l i t y and t h a t p r o b l e m a t i c s t h a t must be d e c o n s t r u c t e d . I t b e l o n g s t o t h e o n t o - t h e o l o g y it f i g h t s a g a i n s t . D i f f e r a n c e i s a l s o s o m e t h i n g o t h e r t h a n f i n i t u d e . A c c o r d i n g t o S a u s s u r e , t h e p a s s i v i t y o f s p e e c h i s f i r s t i t s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h l a n g u a g e . The r e l a t i o n s h i p between p a s s i v i t y and d i f f e r e n c e c a n n o t b e d i s t i n g u i s h e d from t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e tween t h e f u n d a m e n t a l u n c o n s c i o u s n e s s o f l a n g u a g e ( a s r o o t e d n e s s w i t h i n t h e l a n g u a g e ) and t h e s p a c i n g ( p a u s e , b l a n k , p u n c t u a t i o n , i n t e r v a l i n g e n e r a l , e t c . ) which c o n s t i t u t e s t h e o r l g i n of s i g n i f i c a t i o n . I t i s b e c a u s e "1ang:lage i s a form and n o t a subs t a n c e " ( p . 1 6 9 ) [ p . 1 2 2 1 t h a t , p a r a d o x i c a l l y , t h e a c t i v i t y of ----------------------- Page 43----------------------s p e e c h c a n and must al:\rays draw from it. But i f i t i s a f o r m , it i s b e c a u s e '' i n l a n g u a g e t h e r e a r e o n l d i f f e r e n c e s " ( p . 1 6 6 ) Cp. 1 2 0 1 . S p a c i n g ( n o t i c e t h a t t h i s word s p e a k s t h e a r t i c u l a t i o n o f s p a c e and t i m e , t h e becoming-space o f t i m e and t h e b e coming-time o f s p a c e ) i s always t h e u n p e c e i v e d , t h e n o n - p r e s e n t , and t h e n o n - c o n s c i o u s . A s s u c h , i f one a n s t i l l u s e t h a t exr e s s i o n i n a non-phenomenological way; o r h e r e we p a s s t h e v e r y Firnits o f phenomenology. A r c h i - w r i t i n g a

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s p a c i n g c a n n o t o c c u r a s s u c h w i t h i n t h e p h e n o m e n o l o g i c a l e x p e r i e n c e o f a p r e s e n c e . I t marks t h e dead t i m e w i t h i n t h e p r e s e n c e of t h e l i v i n g p r e s e n t , w i t h i n t h e g e n e r a l form o f a l l p r e s e n c e . The dead t i m e i s always a t work. T h a t i s why, once a g a i n , i n s p i t e of a l l t h e d i s c u r s i v e r e s o u r c e s t h a t t h e f o r m e r may borrow from t h e l a t t e r , t h e c o n c e p t o f t h e t r a c e w i l l n e v e r be merged w i t h a phenomenology o f w r i t i n g . As t h e phenomenology o f t h e s i g n i n g e n e r a l , a phenomenology o f w r i t i n g i s i m p o s s i b l e . No i n t u i t i o n c a n b e r e a l i z e d i n t h e p l a c e where f i t h e ' w & g e s l i n d e e d t a k e on an i m p o r t a n c e " ( P r e f a c e t b Coun de d d s ) . P e r h a p s it i s now e a s i e r t o u n d e r s t a n d why F r e u d s a y s o f t h e dreamwork t h a t i t i s comparable r a t h e r t o a w r i t i n g t h a n t o a f a n g y t g e , and t o a h i e r o g l y p h i c r a t h e r t h a n t o a p h o n e t i c writl n g . And t o u n d e r s t a n d why S a u s s u r e s a y s o f l a n g u a g e t h a t i t "is n o t a f u n c t i o n o f t h e s p e a k e r " (p. 30) cp. 1 4 1 . With o r w i t h o u t t h e c o m p l i c i t y o f t h e i r a u t h o r s , a l l t h e s e p r o p o s i t i o n s must b e u n d e r s t o o d a s more t h a n t h e s i m p l e r e v e r s a l s o f a m e t a p h y s i c s o f p r e s e n c e o r o f c o n s c i o u s s u b j e c t i v i t y . C o n s t i t u t i n g and d i s l o c a t i n g i t a t t h e same t i m e , w r i t i n g i s o t h e r t h a n t h e s u b j e c t , i n w h a t e v e r s e n s e t h e l a t t e r i s u n d e r s t o o d . W r i t i n g c a n n e v e r b e t h o u g h t u n d e r t h e c a t e g o r y o f t h e s u b j e c t ; however it i s m o d i f i e d , however i t i s endowed w i t h c o n ~ c i o u s n e s so r u n c o n s c i o u s n e s s , it w i l l r e f e r , by t h e e n t i r e t h r e a d o f i t s h i s t o r y , t o t h e s u b s t a n t i a l i t y o f a p r e s e n c e u n p e r t u r b e d by a c c i d e n t s , o r t o t h e i d e n t i t y of t h e s e l f s a m e CZe p r o p r e ] i n t h e p r e s e n c e o f s e l f - r e l a t i o n s h i p . And t h e t h r e i d o f t h a t h i s t o r y c l e a r l y d o e s n o t r u n v i t h i n t h e b o r d e r s o f m e t a p h y s i c s . To d e t e r m i n e a n X a s a s u b j e c t i s n e v e r a n o p e r a t i o n o f a p u r e c o n v e n t i o n , i t i s n e v e r a n i n d i f f e r e n t g e s t u r e i n r e l a t i o n t o w r i t i n g . S p a c i n g a s w r i t i n g i s t h e becoming-absent and t h e becomingu n c o n s c i o u s o f t h e s u b j e c t . By t h e movement

o f i t s d r i f t / d e r i v a t i o n C d g r i v e l t h e e m a n c i p a t n c o n s t i t u t e s i n r e t u r n t h e d e s i r e of p r e s e n c e . T h t h a t d r i f t / d e r i v a t i o n - - d o e s n o t b e f a l l t h e s u b j e c h o o s e it o r would p a s s i v e l y l e t i t s e l f b e drawn As t h e s u b j e c t ' s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h i t s own d e a i s t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n o f s u b j e c t i v i t y . On a l l l e o r g a n i z a t i o n , t h a t i s t o s a y o f t h e j f c o n o m y o f d e s a r e o f a t e s t a m e n t a r y e s s e n c e . And t h e o r of t h e s u h j e c t o f w r i t i n g i s a l s o t h e a b s e n c e o f h e r e f e r e n t . W i t h i n t h e h o r i z o n t a l i which i s i n f a c t t h e p r e c i s e d i m e n s i o n I have b e s o f a r , ahd which i s n o t opposed t o i t a s s u r f a c h , i t i s n o t e v e n n e c e s s a r y t o s a y t h a t s p a c i n g c u c a u s e s t o d r o p w i t h i n t h e u n c o n s c i o u s : t h e u n c o n s n g w i t h o u t t h i s c a d e n c e

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and b e f o r e t h i s c a e s n r a . Thus s i i o n forms i t s e l f o n l y w i t h i n t h e h o l l o w o f d i f f e r a n c e : n t i n u i t y and o f d i s c r e t e n e s s , o f t h e d i v e r s i o n and t v e of what does n o t a p p e a r . T h i s h i n g i n g [ b r i s u r e l o g e a s w r i t i n g , t h i s d i s c o n t i n u i t y , c o u l d h a v e , a t a g w i t h i n l i n g u i s t i c s , r u n up a g a i n s t a r a t h e r p r e c i o u s s t p r e j u d i c e . Renounci n g i t , phonology must i n d e e d r e n l d i s t i n c t i o n s between w r i t i n g and t h e spoken word, and o u n c e n o t i t s e l f , p h o n o l o g y , b u t r a t h e r phonologism. J a k o b s o n r e c o g n i z e d i n t h i s r e s p e c t is most i m p o r t a n t f o a l l y

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i n v o l v e [The M a t h e m a Urbana, 1 9 p. 745, f a f i n i t e s e t d i s c r e t e d b y w r i t t e n speecb.3 r, came t o r s o l v e o e r i e s o f element a w i n u l t i m a t e d i s c r e u n i t s , e f e a t u r e s , " a r e a l i g n e d termed 'Lphonemes," which i n t o s e q u e n c e s . Thus form e s t l y g r a n u l a r s t r u c t u 2 d e s c r i p t i o I Weaver The h i n s s i b i l l t v t h t h e u n i t y o f be p r o d u c e d p l e n i t u d e o f e s e n c e . T h a t h e r e i s n o m i g h t w i s h it by means n a l y s i s . B e i n g t o r e d u c f t h e f u l l s c l a i m s t o be t i o n o f meaning i t s o r i g i n i a c e o f a p r o t h e t r a c e . Why o f e c h o i c e o f I have begun t h i s q u e s t and s u c h t h e h e p l a c e o f o f t h e o t h e r I f words c e p t s r e c e i v f d i f f e r e n c e j u s t i f y o n e ' o f t e r m s , o n t o p o l o g y and j u s t i f i c a t i f o r n e v e r b e c o r r e s p o n d s t i o n o f f o r c a l c a l c u l a t i

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h j s t o r i a l metonymy ~ i l i e r eGod's name d sd e a t h i n c!iech. That i 5 why, i f t h i s movcment l ~ e g i n si t s i n t h e form of I'l:ltonism, ----------------------- Page 46----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s and Grammatology

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it e n d s i n i n f i n i t i s t m e t a p h y s i c s . Only i n f i n i t e b e i n g c a n r e duce t h e d i f f e r e n c e i n p r e s e n c e . I n t h a t s e n s e , t h e name of God, s u c h a t l e a s t a s it i s pronounced w i t h i n c l a s s i c a l r a t i o n a l i s m , i s t h e name o f i n d i f f e r e n c e i t s e l f . Only a p o s i t i v e i n f i n i t y can l i f t t h e t r a c e , " s u b l i m a t e " i t ( i t h a s r e c e n t l y been p r o p o s e d t h a t t h e H e g e l i a n Aufhebung b e t r a n s l a t e d a s s u b l i m a t i o n ; t h i s t r a n s l a t i o n may be o f d u b i o u s w o r t h a s t r a n s l a t i o n , b u t t h e j u x t a p o s i t i o n i s o f i n t e r e s t h e r e ) . Ne must n o t t h e r e f o r e s p e a k o f a " t h e o l o g i c a l p r e j u d i c e , " f u n c t i o n i n g s p o r a d i c a l l y when i t i s a q u e s t i o n o f t h e p l e n i t u d e of t h e l o g o s ; t h e l o g o s a s t h e s u b l i m a t i o n o f t h e t r a c e i s t h e o l o g i c a l . I n f i n i t i s t t h e o l o g i e s a r e a l ways l o g o c e n t r i s m s , w h e t h e r t h e y a r e c r e a t i o n i s m s o r n o t . S v i n o z a h i m s e l f s a i d of t h e u n d e r s t a n d i n g - - o r l o g o s - - t h a t it was t h e immediate i n f i n i t e mode o f t h e d i v i n e s u b s t a n c e , even c a l l i n g t h e l o g o s i t s e t e r n a l s o n i n t h e S h o r t T r e a t i s e . I t i s a l s o t o t h i s e p o c h , " r e a c h i n g c o m p l e t i o n " w i t h H e g e l , w i t h a t h e o l o g v o f t h e a b s o l u t e c o n c e p t a s l o g o s , t h a t a l l t h e n o n - c r i t i c a l c o n c e p t s a c c r e d i t e d by l i n g u i s t i c s b e l o n g , a t l e a s t t o t h e e x t e n t t h a t l i n g u i s t i c s must c o n f i r m - - a n d how c a n a s c i e n c e a v o i d i t - - t h e S a u s s u r i a n d e c r e e marking o u t " t h e i n t e r n a l s y s t e m o f l a n g u a g e . " I t i s p r e c i s e l y t h e s e c o n c e p t s t h a t p e r m i t t e d t h e e x c l u s i o n o f w r i t i n g : image o r r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , s e n s i b l e and i n t e l l i g i b l e , n a t u r e and c u l t u r e , n a t u r e and t e c h n i q u e , e t c . They a r e s o l i d a r y w i t h a l l m e t a p h y s i c a l c o n c e p t u a l i t y and p a r t i c u l a r l y w i t h a n a t u r a l i s t , o b j e c t i v i s t , a n d d e r i v a t i v e d e t e r m i n a t i o n o f t h e d i f f e r e n c e between o u t s i d e and i n s i d e .

And above a l l w i t h o f t i m e . " I borrow t h i s e x p r e s s i o n from H e i n a t e s , a t t h e end o f Being and T i m e , a c o n c e p g from s p a t i a l movement o r from t h e now, and d o m s o p h y from A r i s t o t l e ' s P h y s i c s t o H e g e l ' s L o g i c , which d e t e r m i n e s a l l c l a s s i c a l . o n t o l o g y , was p h i l o s o p h e r ' s c a r e l e s s n e s s o r from a t h e o r I t i s w i t h i n t h e t o t a l i t y o f t h e h i s t o r y of t h u n i t e s i t s m e t a p h y s i c and i t s t e c h n i q u e . And a t e r a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e l i n e a r i z a t i o n o f w r i t i n g n e a r i s t c o n c e p t o f s p e e c h . T h i s l i n e a r i s m s e p a - r a b l e from phonolog i s m ; it c a n r a i s e i t s v e x t e n t t h a t a l i n e a r w r i t i n g c a n seem t o s u b m r e ' s e n t i r e t h e o r y of t h e " l i n e a r i t y o f t h e s i i n t e r p r e t e d from t h i s p o i n t o f v i e w . command s a r e T h i y a r e A u d i t o r y s i g o n l y t h e d i m e n s i o n o f p r e s e n t e d i n s u c c e s s i o s f e a t u r e becomes r e a d r e p r e s e n t e d i n w r i t i n g . a u d i t o r y , i s u n f o l d e d it g e t s t h e f o l l o w i n e p r e s e n t s a s p a n , and i n a s i v g l e d i m e n

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T h i s l i n e a r i s t c o n c e p t o f t i m e i s t h r e f o r e one o f t h e deeps t a d h e r e n c e s o f t h e modern c o n c e p t o f t e s i g n t o i t s own h i s o r y . For a t t h e l i m i t , it i s i n d e e d t h e c o n c e p t o f t h e s i g n its e l f , a n d t h e d i s t i n c t i o n , however t e n u o u s , between t h e s i g n i f y i n g and s i g n i f i e d f a c e s t h a t r e m a i n committed t o t h e h i s t o r y o f c l a s s i c a l o n t o l o g y . The p a r a l l e l i s m and c o r r e s p o n d e n c e o f t h e f a c e s o r t h e p l a n e s change n o t h i n g . T h a t t h i s d i s t i n c t i o n , f i r s t a p p e a r i n g i n S t o i c l o g i c , was n e c e s s a r y f o r t h e c o h e r e n c e o f a s c h o l a s t i c t h e m a t i c s d o m i n a t e d ' b y i n f i n i s t t h e o l o g y , f o r b i d s u s t o t r e a t t o d a y ' s d e b t t o i t a s a c o n t i n g e n c y o r a c o n v e n i e n c e . I s u g g e s t e d t h i s a t t h e o u t s e t , and p e r h a p s t h e r e a s o n s a r e c l e a r e r now. The signatum a l w a y s r e f e r r e d , a s t o i t s r e f e r e n t , t o a r e s , t o a n e x i s t e n t c r e a t e d o r a t any r a t e first t h o u g h t and s p o k e n , e e h t

t h i n k a b l e and s p e a k a b l e , i n t h e e t e r n a l p r e s e n t o f t h e d i v i n e l o g o s and s p e c i f i c a l l y i n i t s b r e a t h . I f i t came t o r e l a t e t o t h e s p e e c h o f a f i n i t e b e i n g ( c r e a t e d o r n o t ; i n a n y c a s e o f a n i n t r a - c o s m i c e x i s t e n t ) t h r o u g h t h e intermediarg o f a s i g n a n s , t h e signatum h a d a n immediate r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h t h e d i v i n e l o g o s which t h o u g h t i t w i t h i n p r e s e n c e and f o r which it was n o t a t r a c e . And f o r modern l i n g u i s t i c s , i f t h e s i g n i f i e r i s a t r a c e , t h e s i g n i f i e d i s a meaning t h i n k a b l e i n p r i n c i p l e w i t h i n t h e f u l l p r e s e n c e o f a n i n t u i t i v e c o n s c i o u s n e s s . The s i g n i f i e d f a c e , t o t h e e x t e n t t h a t i t i s s t i l l o r i g i n a r i l y d i s t i n g u i s h e d from t h e s i g n i f y i n g f a c e , i s n o t c o n s i d e r e d a t r a c e : by r i g h t s , it h a s no need of t h e s i e n i f i e r t o be what i t i s . I t i s a t t h e d e p t h o f t h i s a f f i r m a t i o n t h a t t h e problem of r e l a t i o n s h i p s between l i n g u i s t i c s and s e m a n t i c s must h e p o s e d . T h i s r e f e r e n c e t o t h e meaning of a s i g n i f i e r t h i n k a b l e and p o s s i b l e o u t s i d e o f a l l s i g n i f i e r s r ~ r n a i n sdependent upon t h e o n t o - t h e o - t e l e o l o g y t h a t I have j u s t evoked. I t i s t h u s t h e i d e a o f t h e s i g n t h a t must b e d e c o n s t r u c t e d t h r o u g h a m e d i t a t i o n upon w r i t i n g which would merge, ----------------------- Page 48----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s a s it m u s t , w i t h t h e i o n l 3 7 a o f o n t o - t h e o f a i t h f u l l y r e p e a t i n g and mzking it i n s e c u r i t s most a s s u r e d e v i d t o t h i s o f n e c e s s i f r o m t h e moment t h a t h e t o t a l i t y o f t h e s i n b o t h i t s a s p e c t s . i s o r i g i n a r i l y and e s s e n t i a l l y (and n o t d c r e a t e d s p i r i t ) a t r a c e , t h a t it i s a l p o s i t i o n of t h e s i g n f i e r , i s t h e a p p a r e n t i o n w i t h i n which t h m e t a p h y s i c s o f t h e l c o n s c i o u s n e s s , must r e f l e c t upon w r i t i n g and Grammatology C s o l Z i c i t a t s t o t a l i t y One e e a i s l e t

undoing l o g y , it i n i t e i n d e n c e s . 3 8 t y t h e t r a c i g n T h a t t h o n l y w i t e o f o r

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COa. D e r r i d a ' s p a g e r e f e r e n c e s a r e t o F e r d i n a n d de S a u s s u r e , C ~ u r sde Z i n g u i s t i q u e gdnSraZe, P a r i s , 1949. Mine, p l a c e d w i t h i n 5 I , t o Course i n G e n e r a l L i n g u i s t i c s , t r . Wade B a s k i n , New York, 1959. A l l p a g e r e f e r e n c e s w i t h i n E I a r e t o E n g l i s h t r a n s l a t i o n s o f F r e n c h t e x t s , where a v a i l a b l e . 2 Cob. ne i n t z r p r e t a t i o n e s I , 16a3.3 1 . Diogsne 51? 1965, [p. 5 4 1 . [ P a r a l l e l E n g l i s h , F r e n c h , and S p a n i s h e d i t i o n s o f t h i s j o u r n a l a r e p u b l i s h e d s i m u l t a n e o u s l y . Vy r e f e r e n c e s a r e t o t h e E n g l i s h Diogenes.1 Andre Y a r t i n e t a l l u d e s t o t h e "courage" which woul d f o r m e r l y have b e e n "needed1' t o " f o r e s e e t h a t t h e t e r m 'word1 i t s e l f m i g h t h a v e t o b e p u t a s i d e i f . . . r e s e a r c h e s showed t h a t t h i s t e r m c o u l d n o t b e g i v e n a u n i v e r s a l l y a p p l i c a b l e d e f i n i t i o n " (p. 39) Cp. 391. "Semiology, a s r e v e a l e d by r e c e n t s t u d i e s , h a s no n e e d o f t h e word" (p. 40) [ p . 391. . . . l'Grammarians and l i n g u i s t s have l o n g known t h a t t h e a n a l y s i s o f u t t e r a n c e s c a n b e p u r s u e d beyond t h e word w i t h o u t g o i n g i n t o p h o n e t i c s , t h a t i s , e n d i n g w i t h segments o f s p e e c h , s u c h a s s y l l a b l e s o r phonemes , which have n o t h i n g t o do w i t h meaningt1 ( p . 41) Cp. 4 01. "We a r e t o u c h i n g h e r e on what r e n d e r s t h e n o t l o n o f t h e word s o s u s p e c t t o a l l t r u e l i n g u i s t s . They c a n n o t a c c e p t t r a d i t i o n a l w r i t i n g w i t h o u t v e r i f y i n g f i r s t w h e t h e r i t r e p r o d u c e s f a i t h f u l l y t h e t r u e s t r u c t u r e o f t h e l a n g u a g e which it i s s u p p o s e d t o r e c o r d " ( p . 48) [ p . 481. I n c o n c l u s i o n M a r t i n e t p r o p o s e s t h e r e p l a c e m e n t " i n l i n g u i s t i c p r a c t i c e " o f t h e n o t i o n o f

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a f f e c t of t h e s e t h e o r e t i c a l p r o p o S a u s s u r e p u t s on w r i t i n g : l e s s "Another it i s t o u s e t o draw it r e s u p a a t t e n d e

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----------------------- Page 49----------------------D e r r i d a b u t i t s c o n s e q u e n c e s a r e a n n o y i n g . u s e o f t h e words ' p r o n o u n c e ' and ' p r o n u n c i a t i o n ' s a n c t i o n s t h e a b u s e and r e v e r s e s t h e r e a l , l e g i t i m a t e r e l a t i o n s h i p between w r i t i n g and l a n g u a g e . Whoever s a y s t h a t a c e r t a i n l e t t e r must be pronounced a c e r t a i n way i s m i s t a k i n g t h e w r i t t e n image o f a s o u n d f o r t h e sound i t s e l f . F o r F r e n c h o i t o b e p r o nounced wa, t h i s s p e l l i n g would have t o e x i s t i n d e p e n d e n t l y ; a c t u a l l y wa i s w r i t t e n o i . " I n s t e a d o f m e d i t a t i n g upon t h i s s t r a n g e p r o p o s i t i o n , t h e r e s p o n s i b i z i t y o f s u c h a t e x t ( " a c t u a l l y wa i s w r i t t e n o i " ) S a u s s u r e a r g u e s : "To a t t r i b u t e t h e o d d i t y t o a n e x c e p t i o n a l p r o n u n c i a t i o n o f o and i i s a l s o m i s l e a d i n g , f o r t h i s i m p l i e s t h a t l a n g u a g e depends on i t s w r i t t e n form and t h a t c e r t a i n l i b e r t i e s may be t a k e n i n w r i t i n g , a s i f t h e g r a p h i c symbols were t h e 'norm1 (p. 52) Cp. 301. 3 . M a n u s c r i p t i n c l u d e d i n t h e P l e i a d e e d i t i o n u n d e r t h e t i t l e F r e e

P r o n o n c i a t i o n ( I I , . p . 1 2 4 8 ) . I t s c o m p o s i t i o n i s p l a c e d c i r c a 1761 ( c f . e d i t o r s ' n o t e i n t h e P Z Z i a d e ) . The s e n t e n c e t h a t I have j u s t c i t e d i s t h e l a s t one o f t h e f r a g ment a s p u b l i s h e d i n t h e PZSiade. I t d o e s n o t a p p e a r i n t h e comparable e d i t i o n o f t h e same g r o u p of n o t e s by [V. G . 1 S t r e c k e i s e n - M o u l t o u , u n d e r t h e t i t l e o f "Fragment d ' u n E s s a i s u r l e s l a n g u e s " and "Notes d d t a c h d e s s u r l e mdme s u j e t , " i n Oeuvres e t c o r r e s p o n d a n c e s i n Z d i t e s de J . J. R o u s s e a u , [ P a r i s ] , 1861, p . 295. 4 . T e x t p r e s e n t e d by J e a n S t a r o b i n s k i i n "Les anagrammes de F e r d i n a n d de S a u s s u r e : t e x t e s i n d d i t s , " Mercure de F r a n c e , F e b r u a r y , 1964, [ v o l . 3501. 5 . Rousseau i s s e e m i n g l y more c a u t i o u s i n t h e f r a g m e n t on P r o n o n c i a t i o n : "Thought is a n a l y s e d by s p e e c h , s p e e c h by w r i t i n g ; s p e e c h r e p r e s e n t s t h o u g h t by c o n v e n t i o n a l s i g n s , and w r i t i n g r e p r e s e n t s s p e e c h i n t h e same way; t h u s t h e a r t o f w r i t i n g i s n o t h i n g b u t a m e d i a t e d r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f t h o u g h t , a t Z e a s t i n t h e v o c a Z i c Zang uages, t h e o n l y o n e s t h a t we u s e " (p. 1 2 4 9 ; i t a l i c s m i n e ) . Only s e e m i n g l y , f o r even i f , u n l i k e S a u s s u r e , Rousseau h e r e f o r b i d s h i m s e l f t o s p e a k i n g e n e r a l o f t h e e n t i r e s y s t e m , t h e n o t i o n s o f mediacy and o f " v o c a l i c l a n g u a g e s " l e a v e t h e enigma i n t a c t . I s h a l l r e t u r n t o t h i s . 6 . Cf. [ J a c q u e s D e r r i d a , e d . , I L ' o r i g i n e de Za gdornZtrie [ P a r i s ] , 1962. 7 . "The s i g n i f i e r a s p e c t o f t h e s y s t e m o f l a n g u a g e c a n cons i s t o n l y o f r u l e s a c c o r d i n g t o which t h e p h o n i c a s p e c t o f t h e a c t o f s p e e c h i s o r d e r e d , " c N . S . 1 T r o u b e t z k o y , P r i n c i p e s de p h o n o l o g i e , t r . F r . [J. C a n t i n e a u e , P a r i s , 1949; P r i n c i p l e s of P h o n o l o g y , t r . C h r i s t i a n e A . V. B a l t a x e , B e r k e l e y and Los A n g e l e s , 19691, p . 2. I t i s i n t h e "Phonologie e t p h o n & t i q u e Wo f J a k o b s o n and H a l l e ( t h e

f i r s t p a r t o f Fundamentals of Language [ t h e Hague, 19561, c o l l e c t e d arid t r a n s l a t e d i n Essais de l i n g u i s t i q u e g g n k r a l c L t r . N i c o l a s Ruwet, P a r i s , 19633, p. 103 Cp. 13661) t h a t t h e p h o n o l o g i s t i c s t r a n d o f t h e S a u s s u r i a n p r o j e c t seems t o be most s y s t e m a t i c a l l y and most r i g o r o u s l y ----------------------- Page 50----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s and Grammatologv

d e f e n d e d , n o t a b l y a g a i n s t H j e l m s l e v ' s " a l g e b r a i c " p o l n t o f v i e w . p . 101. Beyond t h e s c r u p l e s f o r m u l a t e d by S a u s s u r e hims e l f , a n e n t i r e s y s t e m o f i n t r a l i n g u i s t i c criticism c a n be opposed t o t h e t h e s i s o f t h e " a r b i t r a r i n e s s o f t h e s i g n . " C f . J a k o b s o n , "A l a r e c h e r c h e d e l ' e s s e n c e du l a n g a g e , t t [ t t Q u e s t f o r t h e E s s e n c e o f Languag e",1Dioge'ne, 51 , and V a r t i n e t , La l i n g u i s t i q u e s y n c h r o n i q u e [ P a r i s , 19651, p . 34. But t h e s e c r i t i c i s m s do n o t i n t e r f e r e - a n d , b e s i d e s , do n o t p r e t e n d t o i n t e r f e r e - - w i t h S a u s s u r e ' s p r o f o u n d i n t e n t i o n d i r e c t e d a t t h e d i s c o n t i n u i t y and i m m o t i v a t i o n p r o p e r t o t h e s t r u c t u r e i f n o t t h e o r i g i n of t h e s i g n . Elements of L o g i c , Bk. 11, [ C o l l e c t e d P a p e r s , e d . C h a r l e s H a r t s h o r n e and P a u l W e i s s , Cambridge, M a s s . , 1931-58, v o l . 21, p . 1 6 9 , p a r a g r a p h 302. I j u s t i f y t h e t r a n s l a t i o n o f h e d e u t e n by v o u Z o i r - d i r e [meaning, l i t e r a l l y " w i s h - t o - s a y " ] i n La v o i z ~t Ze phSnomlvie [ P a r i s , 1967; t r . David B ; A l l i s o n , Zpeech and Phenomenon, E v a n s t o n , 1 9 7 3 . 1 The P h i l o s o p h y of P e i r c e : S e l e c t e d W r i t i n g s , Led. J u s t u s B u c h l e r , New York and London, 19401, c h . 7 , p . 99. p . 93. L e t us r e c a l l t h a t Lambert opposes phenomenology t o a l e t h e i o l o g y .

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240f CDer S a t z vom Grund, P f u l l i n g e n , 19571. Such themes a r e p r e s e n t e d a l s o i n Eugen F i n k (Le j e u comme symboZe du monde [ S p i e l a l s Weltsymhol, S t u t t g a r t l 1 9 6 0 ) , a n d , i n F r a n c e , i n K o s t a s A x e l o s , Vers l a pensge pZan6t a i r e C P a r l s l , 1964, and Einfiihrung i n e i n k i i n f l i g e s Denken [:iiber Uarx und H e i d e g g e r , Tiibingenl , 1966. Communications, 4 , 1964, p . 2 . "The c o n c e p t u a l s i d e o f v a l u e i s made up s o l e l y o f r e l a t i o n s and d i f f e r e n c e s w i t h r e s p e c t t o t h e o t h e r t e r m s o f l a n g u a g e , and t h e same c a n b e s a i d o f i t s m a t e r i a l s i d e . The i m p o r t a n t t h i n g i n t h e word i s n o t t h e sound a l o n e b u t t h e p h o n i c d i f f e r e n c e s t h a t make it p o s s i b l e t o d i s t i n g u i s h t h i s word from a l l o t h e r s , f o r d i f f e r e n c e s c a r r y s i g n i f i c a t i o n . . . . A segment o f l a n g u a g e can n e v e r i n t h e f i n a l a n a l y s i s b e b a s e d on a n y t h i n g e x c e p t i t s nonc o i n c i d e n c e w i t h t h e r e s t t t ( p . 163) [ p . 1 1 7-1 181. "Since a n i d e n t i c a l s t a t e o f a f f a i r s i s o b s e r v a b l e i n w r i t i n g , a n o t h e r s y s t e m o f s i g n s , we s h a l l u s e i ~ r l t l n g t o draw some c o m p a r i s o n s t h a t w i l l c l a r i f y t h e h h o l e i s s u e . I n f a c t : 1) The s i g n s u s e d i n w r i t i n g a r e a r b i t r a r y ; t h e r e i s no c o n n e c t i o n , f o r example, between t h e l e t t e r t and t h e

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----------------------- Page 51----------------------2 ) The v a l u e o f l e t t n e g a t i v e and d i f f e r e n t i a l . The same e r s o t , f o r i n s t a n c e , i n d i f f e r e n t ways: 2 4 t . r q u i r e m e n t i s t h a t t h e s i g n f o r t n o t b e c o n s c r i p t w i t h t h e s i g n s u s e d f o r 2, d, e t c . 3) V a l u e s i n w r i t i n g n l y t h r o u g h r e c i p r o c a l opp o s i t i o n w i t h i n a f i x h a t c o n s i s t s o f a s e t numb e r o f l e t t e r s . T h i s a c t e r i s t i c , though n o t i d e n t i c a l t o t h e s e c o e l y r e l a t e d t o i t , f o r b o t h depend on t h e f i r s t . g r a p h i c s i g n i s a r b i t r a r y , i t s form m a t t e r s l i t t r m a t t e r s o n l y w i t h i n t h e l i m i t a t i o n s imposed by m . 4) The means by which i s p r o d u c e d i s c o m p l e t e l y u n i m p o r t a n t , f o r it d o e c t t h e s y s t e m ( t h i s a l s o f o l l o w s from c h a r a c t e Whether I make t h e l e t t e r s i n w h i t e o r b l a c k , r a r a v e d , w i t h pen o r c h i s e l - a l l t h i s i s o f n o i m p r e s ~ e c tt o t h e i r s i g n i f i c a t i o n " (p. 165-166) 18 . " A r b i t r a r u and d i f f e r two c o r r e l a t i v e q u a l i t i e s t t ( p . 163) cp. 1183:y c18a. Fundamentals Roman 0. 161. 19 e d : . T h i s l i t e r a l f i d e l i t y i s e x p r e s s o J a k o b s o n of Language, and e r s n The f u s e d i s p u r e l

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o r t a n c e w i t h Cp. 119-1201. e n t i a l a r e

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b s t a n c e I t b u t n g s w how seems f o r

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d e r i v e d . t h a t , b e i

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t o w r i t e .

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2 . I n t h e Elements q u e g S n 6 r a l e [ P a r i s , 1961 ; t r . p t e r s and o Elements of G e n e r a l E l i s a b e t h P a l m e r , on London, 19641, where t h e v o c a l c h a r a c o f l a n g u a g e p i c k o f C h a p t e r t o

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c l u d e s :

i n t h i s a r g u m e n t . ) "The s t u d y o f

from i s i p l e [ p . 171. one

w r i t i n g i s a d i s c i p l i n e l i n g u i s t i c s p r o p e r , a l t h o u g h p r a c t i c a l l y o f i t s dependen-

d i s t i n c t it

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i n p r i n c (p. 11) a b s t r n o t

a c t i o n

c o n c e p t s o f dependency f u n c t i o n : w r i t i n g

and

and i t s s c i e n c e a r e i n d e p e n d e n t ; which d o e s ----------------------- Page 52----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s

a l i e n b u t

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n o t s t o p them from b e i n g , c o n v e r s e l y , immanent b u t n o t e s s e n t i a l . J u s t enough ' l o u t s i d e " n o t t o a f f e c t t h e i n t e g r i t y o f t h e l a n g u a g e i t s e l f , i n i t s p u r e o r i g i n a l s e l f - i d e n t i t y , i n i t s p r o p e r t y ; j u s t enough " i n s i d e " n o t t o have t h e r i g h t t o any p r a c t i c a l o r e p i s t e m o l o g i c a l i n d e p e n d e n c e . And v i c e v e r s a . 3 . I n "The Word" ( a l r e a d y c i t e d ) : " . . . it i s from r t i n s p e e c h t h a t one o r d e r t o u n d e r s h o u l d o f above always human a l l i n s t a la

nguage'' "La

s t a n d t h e r e a l n a t u r e ( p . 53) [ p . 541. 4 . d o u b l e and f i n a l l y and a r t i c u l a t i o n l a n g a g e , " La p . 8f and p .

du h r o n i q u e , 21 , " of . 1955, "On

Z i n g u i s t i q u e s y n c 1 8 f . o f P h o n e m a t i c s Congress

t h e P r i n c i p l e s P r o c e e d i n g s of

t h e Second I n t e r n a t i o n a l P h o n e t i c S c i e n c e s , p . 51. e t p a r o l e " [Copen-

22 . "Langue l i n g u i s t i q u e s

( 1 9 4 3 ) , E s s a i s

h a g e n , 23 l s e . o m i r i n g Copenhagen, t o A p . 91-9" Theory

19593,

p .

77.

s p r o g t e o r i e n s g r u n d l a e g g e 1943, of ( t r a n s l a t e d LanguF r a n c i s J ; e d i t i o n , 103-104. l a s Prolegomena W h i t f i e l d , B

a g e , Ctr. a l t i m o r e , s e c o n d 19611, a n g a g e " p .

Cf. a l s o "La s t r a t i f i c a t i o n du (1 9 5 4 ) , E s s a i s ( T r a v a u z The du c e r c l e

L i n g u i s t i q u e s Z i n g u i s t i q u e de Copennd t h e

hague, Y I I , 19591. t e r m i n o l o g y o f a o f

p r o j e c t t h e

t a n c e . h e The

g r a p h e m a t i c s , s c i e n c e o f g r a p h i c e x p r e s -

s u b s

s i o n , a r e t h e r e p r e s e n t e d c o m p l e x i t y of t h e p r o p o s e d a l g e b r a t h a t , from t h e p o i n t of form and view subo f aims t h e

( p . 4 1 ) t

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between a n how t e d c . " l e a d "one by (P.

s t a n c e , " S a u s s u r e ' s t o c o n f u s i o n " ( p . 4 8 ) . and t h e H j e l m s l e v same

t e r m i n o l o g y c d e m o n s t r a t e s m a n i f e s

form o f e x p r e s s i o n c a n b e d i v e r s e s u b s t a n c e s : p h o n i c , 4 9 ) . "Speech IV, p . by g r a p h i c ,

f l a g - s i g n a l s , e t 1938, Acta a

24 . Linguistics, s t u d y b e n e n V I I I ,

a n d W r i t i n g , " 1944, r e f e r s

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Vachek, Sprache" du 1939)

"Zum Problem (Tr3avaux

d e r

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and o f view."

g l o s s e m a t i c p o i n t s C f . "Remarques iecherches i q u e de of

a l s o E l i F i s c h e r - J o r g e n s e n , s u r l e s p r i n I l i n g u i s t

c i p e s de l T a n a l y s ephon6mique," s t r u c t u r a l e s , 1949 (Travaux du P r a g u e , v o l . V , C e r c l e

p . 2 3 1 f ) ; B e r t h a S i e r t s e m a , A Study G l o s s e m a t i c s [ t h e Hague, I 1955, ( e s p e c i a l l y c h . VI) , and Hennings SpangH a n s s e n , " G l o s s e m a t i c s , " Trends i n European a n d American L i n g u i s t i c s , 1930-1960 Ced. C h r i s t i n e Mohrmann, U t r e c h t , ] 1961, p . 1 4 7 f . 25 . And a l r e a d v , i n a v e r y programmatic manner, i n t h e P r o legomena ( E n g l i s h t r a n s l a t i o n , p . 114-1 1 5 ) . C f . a l s o Adolf S t e n d e r - P e t e r s e n , " E s q u i s s e d ' u n e t h e o r i e s t r u c t u r a l e de l a l i t t 6 r a t u r e , " and S t e v a n J o h a n s o n , "La n o t i o n de s i g n e d a n s l a g l o s s 6 m a t i q u e e t d a n s 1 1 e s t h 6 t i q u e , " Travaux du CercZe l i n g u i s t i q u e de Copenhague, v o l . V , 1949. ~ 2 5 a . I l e r r i d a p r e s e n t s t h e word I 1 d i f f 6 r a n c e " i n "La d i f f 6 r a n c e , " Marges: d~ l a p h i l o s o p h i e , P a r i s , 1972. I ----------------------- Page 53----------------------26 . Omkring, p . 9 (ProZegomenn, 8 ) . 2 7 . p . 1 4 . lBhich does n o t t H j e l m s l e v from " v e n t u r i n g a n 1 1 ) . i f e p i t o c a l l " h i s d i r e c t i n g " e m p i r i c a l p r i n c i p l e " (p. "But," a r e s t e m o t i g From view i n o l o n o t c i p l e o n l 1 2 , he w i l o g i t i o o u t h y , a f f . one E n g l i a d d s , l i n g t c a l i n n shows r p o i n i s i s which e c t t h T h i s i example s h t r a n "we o abandon v e s i t t o t o f m e r e l y d o e s e m a i n t s o f p . p r e v e n

p r i n c i p l e p .

s l a t i o n , t h e b e a name

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r i a t e . f e t e r m p r i n

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c o n v e n t i o n a l i s m o f a s y s t e m , w h i c h , i n b o r r o w i n g a l l i t s c o n c e n t s from t h e h i s t o r v o f t h e m e t a p h y s i c s t h a t it would h o l d a t a d i s t a n c e ( f o r m / s u b s t a n c e , c o n t e n t / e x p r e s s i o n , e t c . ) , b e l i e v e s i t c a n n e u t r a l i z e i t s e n t i r e h i s t o r i c a l b u r d e n hy means o f some d e c l a r a t i o n o f i n t e n t i o n , a p r e f a c e , o r q u o t a t i o n marks. 2 8 . As f o r t h i s c r i t i q u e o f t h e c o n c e p t o f o r i g i n i n g e n e r a l ( e m p i r i c a l a n d / o r t r a n s c e n d e n t a l ) we have e l s e w h e r e a t t e m p t e d t o i n d i c a t e t h e schema.of an argument ( I n t r o d u c t i o n t o P u s s e r l ' s L ' o r i g i n e de l a g 6 o m S t r i e [ P a r i s , 1 9 6 2 , j p . 6 0 ) . 29 . op. c i t . , p : 111 . H j e l m s l e v f o r m u l a t e s t h e same r e s e r v a t i o n s : " I t 1 s c u r i o u s t h a t l i n g u i s t i c s , s o l o n g on g u a r d a g a i n s t any s u s p i c i o n o f ' p s y c h o l o g i s m , ' seems h e r e , even i f o n l y t o a c e r t a i n e x t e n t and i n v e r y c a u t i o u s p r o p o r t i o n s , t o be on i t s way back t o S a u s s u r e ' s \caustic i m a g e , ' and e q u a l l y t o ' c o n c e p t , ' a s l o n g a s t h a t word i s i n t e r p r e t e d i n s t r i c t c o n f o r m i t y w i t h t h e d o c t r i n e t h a t I have j u s t e l a b o r a t e d , i n s h o r t t o r e c o g n i z e , w i t h however many n e c e s s a r y r e s e r v a t i o n s , t h a t , w i t h t h e two a s p e c t s o f t h e l i n g u i s t i c s i g n , one i s i n t h e p r e s e n c e o f t h e I p u r e l y p . s e , o f c e d r s e d h e d v o h o l t o 28) i n o m e n c r by S a i , h a v e b i t i s t s i t a t e s c a t e d s o g i c a l s be a d s l e u n e b h e h i o i r a t h e r a p a r t i a l c o i n c a t l i r e s t h a n a a l a n a l o g y . The t e r m s s s u r e , and t h e t e r p r e t a t i o n s g i v e n i n b e e n abandoned c a u s e t h e y , c a n b e e q u i v e t t e r n o t t o make e same m i s t a k e s a g a i n . uhen we a s k o u r l v e s how much t h e r e s e a e r e may b e cond e r e d a s b e l o n g i n g t o t o r d e r : t h e r e a n b e i n g t h a t p s y c h o l o g y s c i p l i n e whose i d e n c e i n t r o d u t h e C o u an [ p . 1 1 1 . But i t p s y c h o l o g i c a l p h e n ~ m e n o n ' ~ ~ ( C o u r

o c a l ,

itre t o o r c h e s h e a

p s y c

seems

d e f i n i t i o n s t i l l l e a v e s much d e s i r e d " ("La s t r a t i f i c a t i o n du l a n g a g e , " 1954, E l i n g u i s t i q u e s , p . 5 6 ) . H j e l m s l e v , p o s i n g t h e same e m , a l r e a d y evoked t h e s e "numerous n u a n c e s t h a t , t h e ' l a s t e r c o u l d b e f u l l y aware o f , b u t which h e d i d i n d it u s e f u l t o i n s i s t upon; t h e m o t i v e s b e h i n d t h t i t u d e n a t u r a l l y e s c a n e s u s " (p. 7 6 ) . i 2 9 a . i i u s s e r Z i a n a . Cesammelte e d . H. L . van B r e d a , t h e Hague, 1950-73, v o l . 6 . 1 C29b. Mallarm6 t r . Anthony H a r t l e o~idsriorth, 1 9 6 5 , p . 209.1 30 . I have a t t e m p t e d a r e a d i n g r e u d from t h i s p o i n t o f b e r i t u r e , d t h e view ("Freud e t l a " 5 ' 6 i ? i ~ ? t u r ee t Za s c s n e de "Freud

t o s s a i s p r o b l Genevan n o t i s f a t

Werice. y , o f Harm F

l f 6 c an

dif{Zy.encecI'aris, 1967; Scene o f ! V r i t i n g , '!

t r . J e f f r e y Yehlman, S t u i ? i e s , No. 4 8 , 1 9 7 1 . 3 t h e I t e x p o s e s c o n c e p t o f t h e t h e

YaZc F r e n c h

r e l a t i o n s l i i p between

----------------------- Page 54----------------------L i n g u i s t i c s t r a t a r d d t l o n " t i o 31 . T one ; n y t h o Among t h e C g y p w r i n t o r o f t h r u s q performed f u n t h e oppol t h e I!e i n s c c e and t h e s t r b1-lcIl I nerln above. h i s theme i n h a l o g i c a i s v s t e m . many o t h e r t ~ a ngod o f t i n g evoked i n e tec1:ni t a1 e , t h e a n a l o g u p c s e n t 1 a1 c t i o n s i n f u n e ,.1111t\o i f e r e d , was t h e c o n d u c r i i - c d tile acthe b e f o r e t ~ ~ e r i n o f t h f I r s o f t h e t h e and Gramr~atologv of " a - r e t h a n T h o t h , l n v e a l s i\rIsen deaci.

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e s e c r e t a r y / s u h s t i t t k i n g , t h e f a t h e r ,

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s u n , of t h e i r e v e . F o r example: "As a g e n e r a l r u l e , I i o r u s ' e y e be( :me t h r l u n a r e y c . The moon, l i k e e v e r y t h i n g t h a t i c i ~ l cIlrii t h c a s t r a l w o r l d , i n t r i g u e d t h e E g y p t i a n s g r e a t l y . Accord111g t o one l e g e n d , t h e moon was c r e a t e d by t h c Sup-god t o r e p l a c e i t s e l f a t n i g h t : i t was T hoth whom R& d e s ~ j i n a t e d f o r t h e e x e r c i s e o f t h i s h i g h f u n c t l o n o f s u b s t i t u t i o n . A n o t h e r mvth t x i e d t o explain tlic v i c i s s i t u d e s o f t h e moori by a p e r l o d i c b a t t l e whose p r o t a g o n i s t s v e r e fIorus a n d S e t h . During t h e combat, t i o r u s ' e y e was wrenched o u t , b u t S e t h , f i n a l l y v a n q u i s h e d , was obllgec! t o r e t u r n t o h i s v i c t o ~ i o u sopponent t h e e v e t h a t he had l i f t e d ; a c c o r d i n g t o a n o t h e r v e r s i o n , t h e e y e r e t u r n c 1 (311 i t s own, o r 1 , 7 3 5 b r o u g h t b a c k by T h o t h . Whatever the c a s e might have b e e n , Horus received 1,is e y e b a c k ? o v i u l l y , and p u t it b a c k i n i t s p l a c e a f t e r p u r i f y i n g it. IFe Lgypt i a n s c a l l e d t h a t e y e o u d j a t , ' t h e h e a l t h y o n e . We ? h a l l s e e t h a t t h e ozadjat e y e p l d y e d a c o n s i d e r a l t l r r o l e i n t h e f u n e r a r y r e l i g i o n , i n t h e O s i r i a n l e g e n d , and I n t h e sacrificial ceremony. T h i s l e g e n d . . . l a t e r r e c e i v e d a s o l a r c o u n t e r p a r t : it was s a i d t h a t t h e u n i f e r s a l m a s t e r , a t t h e o r i g i n o f t h e w o r l d , was s c c n , i o r some unknown r e a s o n , t o b e w i t h o u t an e y e . I-IP c h a r g e d Shou and T e f n o u t t o b r i n g i t b a c h . The a b s e r - e o f t h e two m e s s e n g e r s l a s t e d s o l o n g t h a t was o b j iged t o r e p l a c e t h e u n f a i t h f u l e y e . The e y e , when it w,ir l l r o u g h t b a c k by Shou and T e f n o u t , became v e r y a n g r v ( a ) , s c e l n g t h a t i t s p l a c e had been t a k e n . I n a p p e a s e m e n t , RE t r a n s formed i t i n t o t h e s e r p e n t - u r a e u s and p l a c e a ~t oil h i s 1 . 1 ~ ~ c h r r g e d f o r e h e a d a s t h e symbol o f power

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The e y e s h e d t e a mep wcrr b o r n [ r d r n e t ) ; t h e m y t h i c c l e a r l y rt-rtb upon a s i m p l e word-play ( J a , La r e l i g i t r i q u p ~ i e n n e, P . U . F . [Paris, 19441, T h i s myth f s u i > s t ~ t u t i o n c a n b e r e l a t e d o f t h e e y e I i!c~ ~ s e a u . 32 . " L i n g u i s t i q u e e t c o ~ , i n ~ u n j c a t l o n' i 7 L cit. p . 0 7 - 8 8 ) p . 2 4 5 . 33 . C f . p a r t i c u l a r l y "La d i l t r e , " Y'd,i i q l a i ! ~ 0032 f i l o s o f i e , September e s s a y " V l o l r [ e r t m E t u i p h y s i q u e : C s s a l - u r lnianuel Te\:r:c -" L ' 6 - w i t u r e e t 1: d i f m ----------------------- Page 55-----------------------

o r i g i n c q u e s p . t o

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I t a k e t h e l i b e r t y o f r e f e r r i n g f o r t h c o m i n g e s s ; ~ y , "Ousia e t Grammi., n o t e s u r une n o t e de S e i n uni? 2 ~ i f ' ' [ t h i s e s s a y i s now i n c l u d e d i n Ma rges: de l a p h i Z o s o c h i e . 1 35 . p . 103 [ p . 7 0 1 . See a l s o e v e r y t h i n g c o n c e r n i n g "hoinogeneous t i m e , " (p. 6 4 f ) [ p . 3 8 f l . 36 . O p . c i t . p . 106. Cf. a l s o t h e n i o g s n e a r t i c l e a l r e a d v c i t e d . 37 . Mercure de F r a n c e , F e b r u a r y 1 9 6 4 , p . 254. [Now p u b l i s h e d a s Les m o t s sozis l e s m o t s : Zes an agrammes de Ferdinnvid d e S a u s s u r e , e d . J e a n S t a r o h i n s k i , P a r i s , 1971.1 P r e s e n t i n g t h i s t e x t , S t a r o b i n s k i e v o k e s a m u s i c a l model and conc l u d e s : "This r e a d i n g i s d e v e l o p e d a c c o r d i n g t o a n o t h e r tempo (and i n a n o t h e r t i m e ) ; a t t h e v e r y l i m i t , one l e a v e s t h e t i m e o f ' c o n s e c u t i v i t y ' p r o p e r t o h a b i t u a l l a n g u a g e . " One cou1.d of c o u r s e s a y " p r o p e r t o t h e h a b i t u a l c o n c e p t " o f t i m e and o f l a n g u a g e . C37a. D e r r i d a comments on t h i s L a t i n a t e u s e o f " s o l l i c i t a t i o n " i n " F o r c e e t s i g n i f i c a t i o n , " L ' B c r i t u r e e t l a d i f . f i ; r e n c e , p . 13.3 a

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38 . I have c h o s e n t o d e m o n s t r a t e t h e n e c e s s i t y o f t h i s "dec o n s t r u c t i o n " by p r i v i l e g i n g t h e S a u s s u r i a n r e f e r e n c e s , n o t o n l y b e c a u s e S a u s s u r e s t i l l d o m i n a t e s contemporary l i n g u i s t i c s and s e m i o l o g y ; i t i s a l s o b e c a u s e he seemed t o u s t o h o l d h i m s e l f a t t h e l i m i t : a t t h e same t i m e w i t h i n t h e m e t a p h y s i c s t h a t must b e d e c o n s t r u c t e d and beyond t h e c o n c e p t o f t h e s i g n ( s i g n i f i e r / s i g n i f i e d ) which he s t i l l u s e s . But S a u s s u r e ' s s c r u p l e s , h i s i n t e r m i n a b l e h e s i t a t i o n s , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t h e m a t t e r o f t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e tween t h e two " a s p e c t s " of t h e s i g n and i n t h e m a t t e r o f " a r b i t r a r i n e s s , " a r e b e t t e r u n d e r s t o o d t h r o u g h r e a d i n g R o b e r t G o d e l ' s Les s o u r c e s r n a n u s c r i t e s du c o u r s de Z i n g u i s t i q u e g 6 n d r a l e [Geneva], 1 9 5 7 , p . 1 9 0 f . S u f f i c e i t t o s a y h e r e t h a t it i s n o t i m p o s s i b l e t h a t t h e l i t e r a l i t y o f t h e C o u r s e , t o which we have i n d e e d had t o r e f e r , s h o u l d one day a p p e a r v e r y s u s p e c t i n t h e l i g h t o f unpubl i s h e d m a t e r i a l now b e i n g p r e p a r e d f o r p u b l i c a t i o n . I am t h i n k i n g p a r t i c u l a r l y o f t h e Anagra ms [now p u b l i s h e d , s e e n o t e 3 7 1 . IJp t o what p o i n t i s S a u s s u r e r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e Course a s i t was e d i t e d and p u b l i s h e d a f t e r h i s d e a t h ? I t i s n o t a new q u e s t i o n . Need we s p e c i f y t h a t , h e r e a t L e a s t , we c a n n o t c o n s i d e r i t t o b e p e r t i n e n t ? U n l e s s my p r o j e c t h a s been f u n d a m e n t a l l y m i s u n d e r s t o o d , i t s h o u l d be c l e a r by now t h a t , c a r i n g v e r y l i t t l e a b o u t F e r d i n a n d de S a u s s u r e ' s v e r y t h o u g h t i t s e l f , I have i n t e r e s t e d myself i n a t e x t whose l i t e r a l i t y h a s p l a y e d a well-known r o l e s i n c e 1915, o p e r a t i n g w i t h i n a s y s t e m of r e a d i n g s , i n f l u e n c e s , m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g s , b o r r o w i n g s , r e f u t a t i o n s , e t c . What I c o u l d r e a d - - a n d e q u a l l v wh at I c o u l d riot reatl-u n d e r t h e t i t l e of A Course i n Te nera2 L i n g u i s t i c s seemed

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