What is the philosophy of Jacques Derrida?

Derrida is most celebrated as the principal exponent of deconstruction, a term he coined for the critical examination of the fundamental conceptual distinctions, or “oppositions,” inherent in Western philosophy since the time of the ancient Greeks.

Which is a key term in the theories of Jacques Derrida?

According to Derrida, “logocentrism” is the attitude that logos (the Greek term for speech, thought, law, or reason) is the central principle of language and philosophy. [3] Logocentrism is the view that speech, and not writing, is central to language.

What is Jacques Derrida known for?

Jacques Derrida (/ˈdɛrɪdə/; French: [ʒak dɛʁida]; born Jackie Élie Derrida; 15 July 1930 – 9 October 2004) was an Algerian-born French philosopher best known for developing a form of semiotic analysis known as deconstruction, which he analyzed in numerous texts, and developed in the context of phenomenology.

Why does Derrida resist definition?

Derrida argues that there are no self-sufficient units of meaning in a text, because individual words or sentences in a text can only be properly understood in terms of how they fit into the larger structure of the text and language itself.

Why does Derrida refuse to define deconstruction?

Derrida writes, there is nothing that could be said to be essential to deconstruction in its differential relations with other words. In other words, deconstruction has to be understood in context. This kind of fluidity also prevents the possibility of defining deconstruction. Jacques Derrida.

What does Derrida have to say on deconstruction as a methodology for reading and for interpretation?

Derrida comes to the conclusion that deconstruction is not a method of textual reading. Similarly, Miller suggests that deconstruction cannot be defined simply because it is undecidable. He, however, agrees that deconstruction is “a method of interpretation” or rather textual interpretation.

What is Jacques Derrida best known for?

Jacques Derrida. Introduction. Jacques Derrida (1930 – 2004) was a 20th Century Algerian-born French philosopher, best known as the founder of the Deconstructionism movement in the 1960s, and for his profound impact on Continental Philosophy and literary theory in general.

What is Derrida’s philosophy?

Derrida takes as his starting point the assertion that modern Western philosophy is characterized by and constructed around an inherent desire to place meaning at the centre of presence.

What does Derrida mean by the exteriority of meaning?

For Derrida, it is this logocentrism, and the idea of the exteriority of meaning, that opens up the possibility of deconstruction. He examines how the natural ‘origin’ of meaning and its ‘institution’ in writing cannot be so easily separated.

What are Derrida’s particular methods of textual criticism?

Derrida’s particular methods of textual criticism involved discovering, recognizing and understanding the underlying assumptions (unspoken and implicit), ideas and frameworks that form the basis for thought and belief.