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Post Modernism of Jacques Derrida – The Concept of Deconstruction

Postmodernism is a significant movement that can be observed across various disciplines, including philosophy, art, architecture, literature, poetry, dance, and drama. It embodies a unique mentality that is not inherently opposed to modernism; rather, it seeks to reconstruct and reinterpret modernist ideas. Postmodernism represents modernism in a different perspective and meaning 

Jacques Derrida was born in Algeria in 1930 and was of Jewish descent. His philosophical work was significantly influenced by earlier thinkers such as John Locke, George Berkeley, and David Hume. Drawing from their ideas, Derrida developed the concept of deconstruction, particularly in relation to language and epistemology

Meaning of deconstruction

Deconstruction is an act of breaking down something into separate parts in order to understand its meaning. It’s an approach for understanding relationship between text and meaning.

Deconstruction  of Derrida

The concept of deconstruction emphasizes the role of language in human social relationships. Language serves as a crucial medium through which individuals comprehend their identity, their connection to others, and their place within society.

A man is a man. He has a self. He is also a member of society. In between self, man, and society, the work to establish a relationship is done by language. An individual acquires knowledge about self, man, and society through language. Thus, in building self in man, language and society play significant role.

Like a society, a self is developed in individual. The developer or promoter of self is language. Language is related to text.

Deconstruction is a critical approach that seeks to clarify the meanings of texts, especially when some meanings are ambiguous.

Some meanings used in the text are quite clear, but some meanings are not clear. In this situation, the first task of deconstruction is to highlight the clear meanings of unclear meanings of the text. In other words, we can say that deconstruction is nothing but to clarify the meanings of unclear meanings of a text.

The deconstruction philosophy highlights the weakness of a text. Thus, language makes the scheme of philosophy a complex. All are equal in deconstruction philosophy.

The concept of deconstruction is based on logic of deconstruction. There are two meanings of discrimination. First meaning is related to discrimination. The second meaning is related to disapproval. In this way, we can say that critical study of text is deconstruction.

Explaining language, Derrida has attempted to distinguish between speech and writing. Speech is speaking form of language and writing is a graphic form of language. One maintains his memory power through writing.

We can achieve past information and knowledge through the study of writing from language. But in language, the speech occupies first position. Writing has second place in language.

Speech is related to phonology. It is deeply connected to our ideas. Therefore, speech is primary and basic. Our writing is secondary. It has no originality. It has artificiality and ornamentation.

This distinction between speaking and writing can also be applied in social areas. Deconstruction is a means to know the meanings of the terms used oral or written. In such a method, meanings are taken out by connecting one term with another term.

In this method, words are not added to the event. The individuals who describe the events are indicators. The language and terms which he uses have different meanings.

Complete or truth meaning is always unclear. Truth also has different meanings. The meaning of language cannot be searched in concrete reality. It can be searched in the context of language itself. It has a social context. It is created socially.

Through the philosophy of deconstruction, so-called truth is rejected. If there is an imagination in the text, it must be rejected. It is because imagination cannot be truth.

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