Mu無 as Structural Ground : Reinterpreting Saussure’s Structuralism Through Nishida Kitarō’s Logic of Basho

Yang, Xiaobo (author)

This paper re-examines Saussure’s structuralism through Nishida Kitarō’s logic of basho (basho teki ronri 場所的論理), a philosophical theory rooted in the concept of mu 無. By adopting this perspective, we explore the foundation of linguistic structure while seeking to transcend its perceived closure and stasis—key critiques of Saussure’s theory. We propose interpreting Saussure’s synchronicity within the framework of diachronicity. The principle of arbitrariness, in this light, emerges as a trace of diachronic contingency fossilized within a synchronic system. Linguistic structure operates through two interwoven dimensions: synchronically, it manifests as oppositional relations among signs, described by Saussure as “negativity”, embodying mu as negative dialectics; diachronically, it is shaped by historical contingency, reflected in the arbitrary combination of sound-images and concepts, mirroring mu as the “groundless ground”. This “groundless ground”, as the “basho of absolute mu” (zettaimu no basho 絶対無の場所), reveals language not as a static system but as a dynamic process of systemic becoming, akin to what Nishida terms the “eternal now” (eien no ima 永遠の今), which continuously maintains itself in the tension between past and future. Synchronic structure is thus not a frozen moment but a dynamic threshold where historical accidents crystallize into present configurations, perpetually open to reconfiguration. It is both complete (as a system of differential relations) and incomplete (as a site of perpetual reconfiguration).

• Language: English
• Keywords: nothing, mu, Ferdinand de Saussure, structuralism, Nishida Kitarō, logic of basho
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.09.2025
• Number of pages: Str. 53-68
• Numbering: Vol. 13, no. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-178281
• ISSN: 2232-5131
• eISSN: 2350-4226
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4312/as.2025.13.3.53-68
• Publication date in RUL: 22.01.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Asian studies
• Publisher: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2232-5131
• COBISS.SI-ID: 265206272

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Mu無 kot strukturna osnova : reinterpretacija Saussurjevega strukturaliz-ma z logiko bashoja Nishida Kitarōja

Abstract

Članek prouči Saussurjev strukturalizem na podlagi logike bashoja (basho teki ronri場所的論理) Nishida Kitarōja, filozofske teorije, ki temelji na pojmu mu無. S prevzemom te perspektive članek razišče temelje jezikovne strukture, hkrati pa skuša preseči njeno zaznano zaprtost in statičnost, ki je temeljna kritika Saussurjeve teorije. Članek pred-laga, da Saussurjevo sinhronijo interpretiramo znotraj okvira diahronije. Na tej osnovi se načelo arbitrarnosti pokaže kot sled diahrone naključnosti, ki je fosilizirana znotraj sinhronega sistema. Jezikovna struktura deluje skozi dve prepleteni dimenziji: sinhronost se kaže kot opozicijska razmerja med znaki, ki jih je Saussure opisal kot »negativnost« in utelešajo mu kot negativno dialektiko; diahrono pa jo oblikuje zgodovinska naključnost, ki se izraža v arbitrarni povezavi med zvočnimi podobami in pojmi, kar odraža mu kot »temelj brez temelja«. »Temelj brez temelja« kot »prostor absolutnega muja« (zettaimu no basho絶対無の場所) razkriva jezik ne kot statični sistem, temveč kot dinamičen proces sistemskega postajanja, podoben temu, kar Nishida poimenuje »večni zdaj« (eien no ima永遠の今), ki se nenehno ohranja v napetosti med preteklostjo in prihodnostjo. Sinhrona struktura tako ni zamrznjen trenutek, temveč dinamičen prag, kjer se zgodovin-ske naključnosti kristalizirajo v sedanje konfiguracije in so neprestano odprte za preoblik-ovanje. Je hkrati dovršena (kot sistem diferencialnih razmerij) in nedovršena (kot prostor nenehnega preoblikovanja).

• Keywords: nič, mu, Ferdinand de Saussure, strukturalizem, Nishida Kitarō, logika bashoja