Deconstruction By Derrida

M.Ansar Mughal,MA English

National University Of Modern Languages

Deconstruction By Derrida

Deconstruction questions the basic conceptual differences or Deconstruction carries a close reading of the text to find that the text has some irreconcilably contradictory meanings, rather than being a unified, logical whole.According to Derrida Western people describe their thoughts in terms of binary oppositions (White--Black,tall-short,cause-effect , speech-writing) etc.Accorrding to Derrida these binary oppositions are hierarchies in miniature .Derrida argues that Western culture sees one term of the binary oppositions as superior and the other term as negative or inferior.With the help of deconstruction, Derrida wants to erase the boundary line between these binary Deconstruction arose in response to the Structuralism theory according to which all elements of human culture and literature can be understood as parts of system of sign.Deconstructionists also reject formalism theory.According to them ,texts are as more heterogeneous than  formalists Deconstruction consider all the textual works as a historical process.

 

Important terms and concepts of Deconstruction and Post-structuralism

Post-structuralism

   Post-structuralism refers to go beyond to Structuralism.It is a movement of literary criticism which began in 1960s in France.It rejects structuralist ideas.Drawing upon the linguistic ideas of Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure and Deconstruction theory of Derrida,it helds that  language is not a clear source which joins one directly with a truth or reality.According to this the language is a code whose parts derive their meanings by contrasting them with one another.Roland Barthes,Jacques Locan and Julia are famous names associated with this movement.

Deconstruction

   When we use a strategy of critical questioning directed towards unquestionable metaphysical assumptions and internal contradictions by using a tool of philosophical and literary language, this is known as Deconstruction.It is a textual practice which is derived from Derrida (Born: July 15, 1930, El Biar, Algeria

Died: October 9, 2004, Paris, France). Deconstruction is a textual practice and its purpose is to demonstrate the inherent insatiability of meaning and language.Deconstruction rejects interpretations and assumption of the Derrida is known as the father of Deconstruction aims to show that the text claims what to say and what it actually says are discernibly different.

Binary Oppositions 

  It is a structuralist  idea.This idea acknowledges the tendency of the interpreter of the text to think in terms of opposition.According to Ferdinand de Saussure the binary opposition gives the meaning and value to the units of language.So each unit is defined against what it is not .For example man ----woman,Reason ---passion,inside---outside ,hot---cold,Speech ---writing,big---small, etc . According to Derrida these oppositions were arbitrary and they were not stable inherently because these structures overlap and clash.These structures dismantle from the text.So Deconstruction can be said as a field of  deconstruction which doesn't accept most of the ideas and assumptions of Structuralism.It rejects binary opposition on the grounds that these oppositions always privilege one term over the another(I mean they privilege signified over signifier ).

Phonocentrism 

  This is an idea which gives importance to sounds and speech and claims that sound and speech are superior to written language.Spoken language is the most fundamental way of communication while writing is a way of capturing the speech. Many other philosophers including Derrida have used this term .

 Différance

   It is a French term.Derrida used the term Différance to explain the concept of absence and presence.Differance can't be defined by the metaphysics of presence.Deferrer is a verb in French language which means both to defer and to differ.So difference not only defines the quality of being deferred but also the quality of being different.Derrida has also described the difference is the condition for the opposition of presence and absence.Difference can be said as a hinge between writing and speech.We can say that as soon as there is meaning,there is difference.

Logocentrism or Metaphysics of presence

  This term was coined by Ludwig who was a German philosopher.  Logos is a Greek term which means law,thought ,idea ,reason or speech.Derrida used this term in his book Of Grammatology in order to deconstruct the apparent inner and phonological structure of the language.Derrida used this term which refers to speech and not writing.According to him logocentrism is the central principle of language and philosophy.In Logocentric theory Derrida says that written words are derived from spoken word.In other words written words are representation of spoken words.According to logocentrism thoughts produce speech and then speech produces writing and hence language originated from thoughts.Derrida describes logocentrism as the metaphysics of presence.

Transcendental signified

   Derrida says that transcendental signified may be deconstructed by a test of the assumptions which underlie the metaphysics of presence.For instance ,if presence is thought to be the essence of the signified and signifier is capable of reflecting the presence of signified.So this interplay between proximity of a signifier to signified ,and remoteness is also an interplay between interiority and exteriority or between presence and absence.

Trace 

   The concept of difference also gives the concept of trace .A trace is sign left by an absent thing .In other words,a trace is the idea according to which a sign differs or defers from.Every present bears a trace of itself to recognize itself as present.Derrida says that trace doesn't exist because it is self-reflecting.

Arche-writing

   Derrida used this term for the language which can't be conceptualized within the Metaphysics of presence.Arche-writing is not derived from speech and it's just an original form of language.Arche-writing gives the difference between written and non-written form of language.Derrida gives another interpretation .He contrasts the idea of arche-writing with the vulgar idea of writing .

Undecidability

    Many deconstructionists used this term.According to it ,the meaning of a text is never final rather it is always in flux.

Supplement

  According to Rousseau, supplement is an inessential extra added to something complete inn Derrida says that the things which are complete in themselves can't be added to and supplement occurs where there is any originary lack.To supplement something is to add something extra to it in order to complete it .

Of Grammatology

  Derrida wrote this book in 1967 in French language which was published in English in 1976.This book has also been called the fundamental text for the criticism of Derrida argues for the rereading of a text.

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