Marx, Vološinov, Williams: language, history, practice

The article will consider the development of the Marxist tradition of thought on language. It will focus specifically on the limited though significant account of language found in Marx's writing, consider how this is developed by Vološinov, and then turn to the work of Raymond Williams. It will be argued that an emphasis on language as a fundamental and creative form of labour is an important development in Marxist social theory and a significant contribution to linguistic thought. The article will conclude with an analysis of two words - ‘dissident’ and ‘terrorism’ - in order to demonstrate how historical semiotics can aid in the understanding of the operations of ideology and hegemony.