Deconstruction Theory

Deconstruction
Deconstruction's emergence from Heideggerian critique:
Derrida builds upon Heidegger's critique of Husserl's idealism.

● He identifies the "metaphysics of presence" as the core of this idealism.
● This metaphysics prioritizes the present, the stable, and the originary.
Derrida's critique of the metaphysics of presence:
● He argues that language does not simply refer to a pre-existing world.

● Instead, it creates its own meaning through internal differences and relationships.
● This challenges the idea of a fixed and knowable reality outside of language.
The revolutionary idea of difference:
1- Derrida's deconstruction emphasizes the play of differences within texts and

language.
2- This destabilizes traditional notions of meaning, truth, and identity.
3- It opens up new possibilities for interpretation and critical engagement.
Overall, this passage highlights the important role of deconstruction in questioning the
assumptions of Western metaphysics and its privileging of presence
Saussurean linguistics:
○ Rejects the "Adamic" theory of language (direct link between words and
things).
○ Emphasizes phonemic difference as the core feature of language (e.g.,
bat vs. cat).
○ Introduces the sign as a unit of meaning with two components (semiotics):
signifier (word/sound) and signified (concept).
○ Highlights the arbitrary nature of the relationship between signifier and
signified.
● Deconstruction:
○ Elevates the importance of the signifier, placing it on par with the signified.
○ Questions the notion of "presence" (self-identity, transcendental
signified) in language and thought.
○ Criticizes privileging speech as more authentic than writing.
4-Focuses on the "play of differences"‫ مهم‬within language, where
meaning is constructed through slippage and "spacing" of the signifier. ‫مهم‬
Derrida's Play and Supplementarity:oscillates

Challenges the idea of a stable, centered structure in language and
thought.
○ Argues for a "play" driven by the lack of a fixed origin or center.
○ Introduces"supplementarity" as more than just adding something; it also
involves substitution and "insinuating itself in-the-place-of."
○ This supplementarity oscillates between a longing for lost unity and an

acceptance of its absence.
●
Overall, the passage explores the shift in linguistic thinking from Saussure's emphasis
on the sign system to Deconstruction's focus on the play of signifiers and the absence
of a fixed center in language and meaning.
1- Derrida critiques privileging speech over writing (phonocentrism). He proposes

a "general science of writing" that recognizes the inherent play of differences
within language.
2- Différance: Derrida's neologism combines "differing" and "deferring" to
describe the endless referral between signifiers, creating an "infinite semiosis"
(Umberto Eco's term).
● Deconstruction does not deny the material world. The famous quote "there is
nothing outside of the text" emphasizes the radical ontology and otherness of
texts, not their exclusive existence.
● Deconstruction targets inconsistencies and aporias within texts: These moments
of rupture reveal the underlying assumptions and challenge the search for an
adequate, singular language.
● Derrida shows Western thought is inherently paradoxical and inconsistent.
Deconstruction seeks to unveil this hidden aspect, not destroy texts.
● Pharmakon as an example of paradox: This term embodies both remedy and
poison, highlighting the inherent ambiguity and complexity of language.
● Derrida's later work explores the ethical implications of the gift: He offers an
"ethics of the possible" as an alternative to nihilism and postmodernism.
● Specters and the uncanniness of presence: Derrida's later works acknowledge
the haunting presence of what can never be fully present, a trace that both
deconstruction and philosophy cannot grasp.
Overall, the passage emphasizes Derrida's nuanced approach to language and

meaning. Deconstruction, while revealing the instability of texts and Western thought,
does not deny reality or promote nihilism. It seeks to engage with the complexities of
language and its ethical implications.

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Deconstruction

Deconstruction's emergence from Heideggerian critique:

Derrida builds upon Heidegger's critique of Husserl's idealism.

Derrida's critique of the metaphysics of presence:

● He argues that language does not simply refer to a pre-existing world.

The revolutionary idea of difference:

1- Derrida's deconstruction emphasizes the play of differences within texts and

Derrida's Play and Supplementarity:oscillates

○ This supplementarity oscillates between a longing for lost unity and an

1- Derrida critiques privileging speech over writing (phonocentrism). He proposes

Overall, the passage emphasizes Derrida's nuanced approach to language and

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