In his critically acclaimed introduction to the work of Saussure, the founder of modern linguistics, Jonathan Culler offers a lucid and concise exposition of Saussure's theory of language and an assessment of its place in modern thought. For this newly revised and expanded edition, Culler has made significant additions to his discussion of Saussure's work on anagrams and, most important, to his account of applications of Saussurian thought today in such areas of critical theiry as Marxism, psycho-analysis, and deconstruction.