“Psichico” e “psicologico” in Saussure: per una psicologia delle lingue

Early anti-psychological structuralism considered Saussure’s psychological terminology an uninteresting (or certainly unscientific) aspect of his theory, but later studies have grasped its importance. In particular, a key aspect is the psychic/psychological distinction, which Saussure uses with regularity just as his other micro-terminological systems. Within the framework of a general reassessment of the role of the speaking subject, recent research has investigated the social (private/public) and the more properly cognitive (weak, operational vs. strong/mnemonic consciousness) dimensions of the terminological couple. But what is the role of psychology, then? It is difficult to grasp, as Saussure is stingy with quotations and prodigal with criticism. Our idea is that Saussure decided to construct on his own a terminological opposition (which he had not found elsewhere) between a dimension proper to langue to another that bridged langue and parole.