Deconstructing Deconstructing DeconstructionismDeconstructionism

Thoughts of Jacques DerridaThoughts of Jacques Derrida

Question: What do you get when you Question: What do you get when you cross Jacques Derrida with a member of cross Jacques Derrida with a member of the Mafia? the Mafia?

Answer: Someone making you an offer Answer: Someone making you an offer you can't understand, or refuse! you can't understand, or refuse!

Pimm 1991 Pimm 1991

Who is Jacques Derrida?Who is Jacques Derrida?French Philosopher of the 20French Philosopher of the 20 thth Century CenturyBorn July 15, 1930, El Biar, AlgeriaBorn July 15, 1930, El Biar, AlgeriaDied October 8, 2004, Paris, FranceDied October 8, 2004, Paris, France

What is Deconstruction?What is Deconstruction?

A word coined by DerridaA word coined by DerridaRefers to critical examination of fundamentals Refers to critical examination of fundamentals

of distinctions or oppositions in Western of distinctions or oppositions in Western PhilosophyPhilosophy

Oppositions characteristically “binary” Oppositions characteristically “binary” One member of the pair is primary or fundamentalOne member of the pair is primary or fundamentalOther member is secondary or derivativeOther member is secondary or derivative

What is Truth?What is Truth?

It depends on where you seek itIt depends on where you seek it

According to Jacques….According to Jacques….

““Truth is supposed to be plain, totally Truth is supposed to be plain, totally transparent, common, and obvious to transparent, common, and obvious to everyone – a clear-cut and unarguable everyone – a clear-cut and unarguable claim to knowledge made with no claim to knowledge made with no possibility of opposition or exemption to possibility of opposition or exemption to the moral rule of law.” the moral rule of law.”

Derrida addresses the idea of opposites Derrida addresses the idea of opposites and proposes that neither member of a and proposes that neither member of a pair is superior to the other, since each pair is superior to the other, since each depends on the other for its validity.depends on the other for its validity.

Which is more authentic – speech or Which is more authentic – speech or writing?writing? Ideas in speech are “immediate” and Ideas in speech are “immediate” and

“present”“present” Ideas in writing are “remote” and “absent”Ideas in writing are “remote” and “absent”

But, speech is language only when it But, speech is language only when it shares characteristics of writing, such as shares characteristics of writing, such as the possibility of being misunderstood.the possibility of being misunderstood.

This must be true since Derrida wrote This must be true since Derrida wrote about it.about it.

What is Differance?What is Differance?

Another Derridean wordAnother Derridean word

Means a “difference”Means a “difference”Distinct, discernableDistinct, discernable

Means “act of deferring”Means “act of deferring”Present while being omittedPresent while being omitted

But then again, since words depend on the But then again, since words depend on the meaning of other words for their meaning, meaning of other words for their meaning, the meaning of a word is never really the meaning of a word is never really present – it is deferredpresent – it is deferred

What was that he said about truth?What was that he said about truth?

““Truth is supposed to be plain, totally Truth is supposed to be plain, totally transparent, common, and obvious to transparent, common, and obvious to everyone..”everyone..”

When I choose a word, it means just what When I choose a word, it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor I choose it to mean, neither more nor less…”less…”

Humpty Dumpty to Alice in Lewis Carroll’s Humpty Dumpty to Alice in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking GlassThrough the Looking Glass

Now that you are thoroughly Now that you are thoroughly confused…..confused…..

Your mission is to investigate the impact of Your mission is to investigate the impact of Derrida on late Twentieth Century thought Derrida on late Twentieth Century thought as well as the impact of the Twentieth as well as the impact of the Twentieth Century on Derrida’s thought.Century on Derrida’s thought.

Is Derrida a product of his times or an Is Derrida a product of his times or an architect of his times?architect of his times?

Are his ideas valid or is he enjoying an Are his ideas valid or is he enjoying an inside joke?inside joke?

Can these ideas be applied to a high Can these ideas be applied to a high school classroom?school classroom?

Design a webquest for high school Design a webquest for high school freshmen in which they seek the path to freshmen in which they seek the path to truth, as defined by Jacques Derridatruth, as defined by Jacques Derrida

Include biographical information and links Include biographical information and links to his works, and those of the philosophers to his works, and those of the philosophers who most influenced himwho most influenced him