ARTICLE: Postmodernism, Derrida and Différance: A Critique

Shanlax International Journal of Arts, Science and Humanities, 2021

This paper is designed to reveal some of the philosophical ideas of Algerian-born philosopher Jacques Derrida. Jacques Derrida, a leading figure of Post-structuralism and Postmodernism is best known as the founding father of ‘Deconstruction’ but many of his philosophical ideas such as, logocentrism, differance, phonocentrism, aporia, anti-representationalism, etc. still remain rarely focused. Therefore, in this paper the researcher has tried to explore various philosophical ideas of Derrida before the readers to get acquainted with Derrida’s contribution to the world of knowledge. This research work has done with the help of both primary sources i.e., original writings of Derrida and secondary sources including the texts written by others. Here, all of Derrida’s ideas are explicitly described and justified by an inductive method. Finally, a concluding remark on deconstruction has been made by comparing Derrida’s idea of “Differance” with Nagarjuna’s concept of “Emptiness” which left...

2009

Derrida will argue that the reversal of the cogito and rethinking subjectivity in terms of embodiment and corporeality is a non-philsophy and anti-metaphysics that repeats metaphysics by negating and reversing it. Derrida's notion of truth is quasi-transcendental rather than anti-metaphysical like Merleau-Ponty's, which locates truth in the difference or differance between transcendental and empirical. Rather than privilege idealism or empiricism as both camps have done, Derrida posits the quasi-transcendental, differance, or the mediation between transcendental and empirical as the space of truth. Differance enables the thinking of both transcendental and empirical, and thus a thinking of the conditionality of structurality as differance is the true resolution to the impasse between idealism and post-metaphysics, or philosophy and non-philosophy.

This article presents an essay about Jacques Derrida's deconstruction and hermeneutics. It is also intended to give information about Post-Structuralism and its contribution in literary theory since Derrida's opinion made an impact including literary theory. By the way, this article hopes to make clear about Derrida's influence on contemporary thought and giving feedback for those who are new beginners in the field of Literary Theory and Criticism. JACQUES DERRIDA'NIN YAPISAL ÇÖZÜM VE YORUMLAMASINA KISA BIR BAKIŞ ÖZET Bu makalenin amacı Jacques Derrida'nin yapısal çözüm ve yorumlama ile ilgili görüşlerini açıklamaktır. Bu çalışma teorik bir çalışmadır. Derrida'nin edebi teoriyi kapsayan etkisinden dolayı, Post-Yapısalcılık ve edebi teoriye içeren bilgiler de ayni zamanda verilmeye çalışılmıştır. Bu makale özellikle Eleştiri ve Edebi Teori alanlarına yeni olan kişilere, Derrida'nin çağdaş düşünce ve dönüt verme gibi etkilerini açıklamayı umut etmiştir.

Dia-noesis, 2017

The aim of this paper is to offer a critical overview of Derrida’s deconstruction of Western Metaphysics, concentrating in particular on his early texts (e.g. Of Grammatology, Writing and Difference, Dissemination, etc.) during the 1960’s and 1970’s. Besides the discussion of key Derridian concepts as “logocentrism” or “différance”, the paper approaches deconstruction as enacting a process of “double reading”. This double reading commences with an initial stage or level which seeks to reconstruct a text’s authorial intention or its vouloir dire. This initial level then prepares the text, through identification of authorial or textual intention, for the second stage or level. At this second stage or level, which is the passage to deconstructive reading per se, the blind spots or aporias of the text are set forth.

In this paper I have examined Derrida's reception in the phenomenological field. I examined common miscontruals of Derrida as an empiricist and nihilist, and allegations that his post-phenomenology is a destruction of phenomenology. Contrary to these charges, I have argued that Derrida's post-phenomenology is a meta-phenomenology in its account for the conditions of possibility for transcendental-empirical distinction through his notions of differance and trace, as well as the quasi-transcendental. The quasi-transcendental is the interval between the transcendental and empirical which enables the thinking of both. Iterability and repetition name the conditions of possibility of ideality rather than being any simple destructive negation of it. The transcendental is only enabled by its signature, or difference from the origin in order to be communicated through space and time. It is the written mark, the quasi-transcendental, that which is neither transcendental nor empirical, which makes possible the distinction between the transcendental and empirical at the same time it makes impossible a sphere of purely expressive signs without the distinction. In this paper I review Derrida's reception in the field of phenomenology. This section differs from the review I gave earlier of phenomenologists in that it is a review of contemporary phenomenologists who have, unlike those covered previously, read Derrida, but read him erroneously, as I judge from my understanding of Derrida. I seek to address these misconceptions in this paper. Where contemporary phenomenologists describe Derrida's work as a disruption and interruption of phenomenology in critiquing the metaphysics of presence, I proceed to argue that characterizations of Derrida as a destructive critic of phenomenology are mistaken, and show how Derrida rather accounts for the conditions that make phenomenology possible with his notions of differance, iterability and the quasi-transcendental. Derrida is not to be mistaken for as a nihilist or an empiricist, rather he argues that phenomenology has to account for the conditions that make it possible. These conditions are differance, iterability, and the quasi-transcendental, that which is neither transcendental nor empirical, but the paradoxical space between that determines and enables us to think both transcendental and empirical. Derrida thus performs meta-phenomenology rather than a destruction of phenomenology as his critics

Academia Letters, 2021

This study explores the philosophical interplay between Plato’s dialectics and Jacques Derrida’s concept of différance, two foundational yet divergent approaches to understanding meaning and truth. Plato’s dialectics, rooted in metaphysical ideals, represents a method of inquiry aimed at uncovering immutable truths through reason and dialogue. In contrast, Derrida’s différance deconstructs these metaphysical certainties, revealing meaning as perpetually deferred and shaped by relational differences. By juxtaposing these two thinkers, the paper highlights their convergences, such as their shared engagement with the nature of meaning and language, and their divergences, particularly in their treatment of metaphysical structures. The analysis extends to contemporary applications of their ideas in philosophy, linguistics, sociology, and cultural studies, demonstrating their enduring relevance in addressing modern intellectual challenges. This comparative study illuminates the tensions and resonances between transcendental aspirations and deconstructive critiques, inviting readers into a dynamic dialogue that questions the limits of language, truth, and understanding. Ultimately, the paper positions Plato and Derrida as interlocutors in an unending philosophical conversation that continues to shape the landscape of human thought.