ABSTRACT

Moving on from his previous book, Superstructuralism , Richard Harland argues that the focus on single words in the structuralist theory of language is its key weakness and that the next advance beyond post-structuralism depends upon replacing word-based with syntagm-based theories. In a lucid way he develops a new syntagmatic theory which shows that the effect of combining words grammatically can transform the very nature of meaning. The wide breadth of coverage in the book covers both post-Chomskyan' linguistics and Derrida, and sets up an opposition to analytic and speech-act views of language. By presenting a systematic critique and counter-proposal, Harland challenges the very foundation of recent literary and language based theory.

part |2 pages

Part I The limits of Superstructuralism

chapter 1|8 pages

The limits of Superstructuralism

part |2 pages

Part II A theory of the syntagm

chapter 2|12 pages

How words work together

chapter 3|12 pages

Saussure and Derrida revisited

chapter 4|10 pages

On the larger scale

chapter 5|10 pages

Parts of wholes

part |2 pages

Part III Syntagmatic theory and philosophy

chapter 6|10 pages

The place of syntagmatic theory

chapter 7|16 pages

The Phenomenological connection

part |2 pages

Part IV Syntagmatic theory and linguistics

chapter 10|14 pages

The Generative approach to syntax

chapter 11|12 pages

The ‘natural grammar’ approach to syntax

chapter 12|18 pages

The Generative approach to semantics

part |2 pages

Part V Syntagmatic theory and literature

chapter 13|24 pages

Syntagmatic theory and literature

part |2 pages

PART VI Syntagmatic theory and textual interpretation

chapter 14|16 pages

Binary-polarization technique

chapter 15|14 pages

The art of deconstruction