Noam Chomsky and Ferdinand de Saussure: A Comparative Analysis of the Paternity of Modern Linguistics

Abstract

Ferdinand de Saussure and Noam Chomsky are also considered by many to be the most influential linguists of all time and most recent of the contenders for the most correct claim to be considered the father of modern linguistics. Each of them brought about a major turn in the history of the science of linguistics. Saussure was the first to outline a methodology for the study of linguistics as a specific and independent branch of science. The first of his many important contributions was the birth of the structural school of linguistics which defined language as a structured and relational system. Many years later, Chomsky introduced revolutionary generative grammar and a new psychological theory of language which changed the goals and methods of study in a revolutionary way for all time. The purpose of this article is to submit a detailed and comprehensive study examining the difference, similarities, and contrast of the Intellectual Heritage, Historical Context, Theoretical Frame, Methodological Orientation, Philosophical Basis, Positively and Negatively Critical Reception, and Legacy of the two scholars of modern linguistics. This study is a recognition of Saussure's contributions as a modern linguist of the first, foundational component, and generative and cognitive linguist Chomsky of the second contemporary component. They are not rival linguists, but rather they are integral components of other linguists and other disciplines in the evolution of the science of linguistics.