A Comparative Study of the Explanation of the Relation between Term and Meaning from the Perspective of Saussure and Mohammad Baqir Sadr

Linguistics and Usul al-Fiqh are two sciences with different definitions and objectives. However, there are several topics dealt with in both sciences. The relationship between term and meaning is one of the above said topics which are both among the basics of linguistics and Usul al-Fiqh. Shahid Sadr has proposed a new theory titled close connection, Saussure, as the father of modern linguistics, has extensively examined the relationship between term and meaning and expressed his views. Since the topic of this research is language, the viewpoints of the two thinkers may be examined comparatively from three aspects: the relation between the faculty of speech stated by Saussure and the three natural laws addressed by Shahid Sadr, the place of signification and determination of signifier and signified in terms and finally, the optional or mandatory nature of the relation between term and meaning. Examining and comparing the theories of these two thinkers, who have both discussed this topic from different perspectives, can provide the grounds for a better understanding of this issue in the two disciplines.