COMPARING THE TWO THEORIES OF THE LINGUISTIC SIGN: SAUSSURE

AND PEIRCE

This simple chart may help you to have a comparative, synthetic Outlook
between a more SOCIAL as opposed to a more INDIVIDUAL approach of
what a SIGN is, especially as a tool for communication. In the
communicative reality these two visions are not mutually exclusive.
FERDINAND DE SAUSSURE CHARLES SANDERS PEIRCE
DIFFERENCES
Dichotomic thought Tricotomic thought
Semiology: a relational science Semiotics: part of logics (in philosophy)
For Saussure, the sign is a psychic entity that The sign alludes to a triadic relationship. He
joins two terms as a binary relationship refers to the sign as representamen
signified (concept) and signifier (acoustic (signifier). He claims that this is something
image) that represents an object (referent), a
character or some particular aspect which is
not visibly present
The linguistic sign does not link a name and a His work differs from Saussure’s in that
thing, or object, but rather a concept with an Peirce does not focus so much on the
acoustic image. function of language but rather on more
general aspects, that is, the way in which
man knows the reality that surrounds him.
 SIMILARITIES

*Signs are not isolated entities, but

SAUSSURE they make up chains of signs and
AND create sign systems.
PIERCE *Signs constitute social facts.
*Human thought is made up of
signs.
*The separation between language
and speech as outlined by Saussure
is, for Peirce, the difference
between legisign and sinsign.