It is in this way that we take the system, as a whole, to be the object of study and to be necessary in the establishment of value. S ince our goal is to better understand the form and function of Natural Language, it might be best to take a step back for a minute and examine what we know. W e can further characterize the system by adding that the relations are arbitrary and are based on a delicate equilibrium established with respect to the linguistic system. This, however, is where we reach the end of our rope. A community is necessary in order to establish values.
Values have no other rationale than usage and general agreement.
An individual, acting alone, is incapable of establishing value. Just as it is impossible to evaluate the sign without reference to the semiological system, it is impossible to evaluate the semiological system without reference to the linguistic system. A gain, it will help to think of the linguistic system as a process rather than as a thing. We can imagine that the semiological system is revised by a set of relations to the linguistic system as a whole. O f course, the difficulty lies in reconciling these assumptions with the empirical facts of Natural Language.