the community is necessary if values that owe their existence solely to usage and general acceptance are to be set up; by himself the individual is incapable of fixing a single value

saussure, course in general linguistics (1916)

language can also be compared with a sheet of paper: thought is the front and the sound the back; one cannot cut the front without cutting the back at the same time

saussure, course in general linguistics (1916)

but it is often easier to discover a truth than to assign to it its proper place

saussure, course in general linguistics (1916)

language is the "social" side of speech

saussure, course in general linguistics (1916)