Final answer:
Option A: Ferdinand de Saussure was a structuralist because of his focus on language structures and the system of signs and rules that govern language.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ferdinand de Saussure was a structuralist, not a post-structuralist. His work laid the foundation for structuralism, particularly in linguistics, through his concept of semiotics which examined how meaning is created through symbols. Saussure's theory of language included both an abstract 'langue' (structural aspect of language) and an experiential 'parole' (individual speech acts), emphasizing that language functions according to certain rules within a system. He focused on structural laws that underpin linguistic signification, suggesting that language is a system with fixed rules and structures. This is in contrast to post-structuralist ideas, which challenge the notion of fixed structures and meanings in language and texts, and suggest that meanings are plural and interpretations are continually under construction. His ideas formed the basis for structural linguistics and semiotics, which are concerned with the structural aspects of language, as opposed to the post-structuralist emphasis on varied and constructed meanings.
Ferdinand de Saussure was a structuralist because he focused on language structures. He developed the theory of semiotics, which analyzes how meaning is created through linguistic and nonlinguistic symbols. Saussure believed that language operates according to structural laws and that the meaning of words is derived from the linguistic structure.