关于语言本质的再思考:任意性与理据性之争

On the Arbitrariness or Motivation of Language

自索绪尔提出语言任意性这条第一原则以来,语言学界和哲学界对此都争论不休,维护者有之,否定者不乏。认为语言任意性的绝对性者,将对语言的思考置于发生之初和语言符号内部二元关系从共时层面进行考虑;而否定语言任意性者则从历时角度对语言自我发展过程中的理据性展开思考。我们认为:两者不是在同一个维度同一层次之上的争论;其争论有意义但不能绝对化;任意性和理据性在语言这个庞大系统中两者是共存互补的。

For a long period there is being a dispute on the topic whether the language is arbitrary as Saussure proposes in his course or the language is motivated as the cognitive linguists insisted. Those who hold that language is arbitrary base their study on the beginning of language and the inner relationship between the signifier and signified. While those who argue that language is motivated base their debate on the development of the language from diachronic angle. We believe that these two features of language complement each other in the different dimensions. This paper tries to explain the two parties and gives an objective stand.