Lingua e materialismo in Sebastiano Timpanaro

This article delves into Timpanaro’s engagement with Saussure’s Cours de linguistique générale (1967) and Saussure’s lasting influence on linguistic studies through the lens of Timpanaro’s own materialistic conception. In this encounter with Saussure, Timpanaro examines several fundamental concepts from his materialist philosophy (Timpanaro 1997) within the domain of linguistics. The extensive comparison with the Cours aims to highlight the quest for a realist perspective within Saussurian teachings that can contribute, from a materialist standpoint, to emancipating linguists from an exclusive adherence to linguistic structuralism (De Palo 2016). The pivotal exploration revolves around Timpanaro’s concept of passivity, which is employed here to assess its relevance and compatibility with De Mauro’s reflections on radical semiotic arbitrariness (De Mauro 1982). Lastly, the focus will be on translating the Timpanarian notion of passivity into the realm of linguistics, particularly concerning its relevance to the experiences of the human subject.