Abstract
The present article aims to review the paradigm shift, a concept proposed by Thomas Kuhn (1962), and how its manifestation in the developments of language studies contributed to the advent of different structural schools of European linguistics. To further explore the topic, this article begins by identifying the actual meaning of Kuhn’s paradigm shift and how it influenced other disciplines of science. Second, the history of structuralism is discussed and reviewed from two different perspectives, pre stage and the post stage of structuralism. The revolutions throughout the history of structuralism, primarily in the European context, led to paradigmatic shifts and the emergence of several influential and prominent structural schools, namely European structuralism, the Prague Linguistic Circle, and the London school of linguistics.
Highlights
Structuralism, a prominent school of linguistics, has undergone several changes to its concepts, principles, and assumptions since it was first founded in Europe by the Swiss linguist and the father of modern linguistics Ferdinand de Saussure, in 1920
I have purposefully narrowed the focus of this article and will study and discuss the European schools of linguistics, mainly structural schools, to analyze the paradigm shift occurring within one unified context, the European context of structural linguistics
According to Kuhn (1962), paradigm shift cannot be explained in the absence of scholarly criticism, and the historical development of paradigmatic shifts will help to unravel the mystery of how structuralism underwent various phases
Summary
Structuralism, a prominent school of linguistics, has undergone several changes to its concepts, principles, and assumptions since it was first founded in Europe by the Swiss linguist and the father of modern linguistics Ferdinand de Saussure, in 1920. I will discuss, review, and highlight the development of these paradigms, mainly within the influential European schools of linguistics, starting with European structuralism, poststructuralism, and the Prague linguistic circle. If a concept within a scientific paradigm fails to meet that standards of the scientific discipline, lacks a fundamental aspect, or violates a scientific rule, Kuhn’s (1962) crisis phase begins here. Investigation, research, and other scientific experiments embark on solving problems identified in the paradigm, which results in a newer version of the paradigm This process of testing a paradigm and renewing it can occur several times and on several levels of the paradigm. Our primary concern is to observe how the changes and developments that occurred in the school of structuralism are best understood as a paradigm shift
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