‘Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences’ (Derrida, 1978: 278 –293) may be read as the document of an event, although Derrida actually commences the essay with a reservation regarding the word “event”, as it entails a meaning “which it is precisely the function of structural – or structuralist – thought to reduce or suspect” (278). This, I infer, refers to the emphasis within structuralist discourse on the synchronous analysis of systems and relations within them, as opposed to a diachronic schemata occupied with uncovering genetic and teleological content in the transformations of history.
The event which the essay documents is that of a definitive epistemological break with structuralist thought, of the ushering in of post-structuralism as a movement critically engaging with structuralism, but also traditional humanism and empiricism – here it becomes the “structurality of structure” (278) itself which begins to be thought. Immediately however, Derrida notes that he is not presuming to place himself ‘outside’ of the critical circle or totality in order to so criticise. While the function of the centre of the structure is identified as that which reduces the possibility of thinking this structurality of structure, even though “it has always been at work” (278), that is, it has always been an economic and economising factor within Western philosophy limiting the play of the structure – where I understand play to be associated with “uneconomic” deconstructive notions such as supplementarity, the trace, and differánce, Derrida notes that “even today the notion of a structure lacking any center [sic] represents the unthinkable itself” (279).
This appears to present a conundrum. For while the centre closes off play, it apparently cannot be done without, at least, it cannot be simply discarded without it re-emerging somewhere else within the totality. The conundrum is in fact a paradox and a coherent contradiction of classical thought, which echoes the Freudian theory of neurotic symptoms where a symbol at once expresses the desire to fulfil and suppress a given impulse (339). Hence, “the contradiction expresses the force of a desire” (279). The centre is, according to Derrida, both within and without the totality – it is an elsewhere (Derrida’s italics) of the totality. It is also a difficult and paradoxical concept to grasp.
The notion of a full presence informs metaphysical discourses in movements aiming to uncover origins or to decode, prophesy even, the aims of philosophical and metaphysical thought.
As a reader it is difficult to separate ones analysis of such a commanding piece of work from ones own constructed systems of meaning. Because of this, actual meaning is tricky to assert with certainty as it is subject to change as easily as reality is subject to influence. This may be beside the point, however; for it seems as though what matters in structuralism is the recognition that everyone, and everything everyone creates or does, is in some part connected to a system of meaning which informs and influences varying interpretations of what is real and true of the world and its diverse inhabitants.
Scarre, Christopher. The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2013.
Lacan’s theory is a form of structuralism because it expansively talks about the tenets of human culture. As advanced by the structuralism theory, human culture is understood from the idea that, there is a larger relationship between structures of human existence. Lacan posits that human culture stems from its relationship with overarching systems. Lacan’s theory argues that human phenomena do not have value without the relationship that ensues with other structures. In other words, Lacan is candid that culture is a product of the systems of structure that build up to a larger structure. According to Lacan, human existence derives its understanding from its ability to develop interrelations. Indeed, Lacan’s psychoanalysis theory has a form of structuralism embedded in it by looking deeply into his ideas about human interactions. According to him, “the unconscious is the discourse of the other”. This implies that human desires are structured in relation to the feelings of others. Psychoanalysis, according to Lacan, is the idea that human culture results from social interaction. In this respect, desire is a social phenomenon that links humans with other structures that form human culture. It is the structural interaction of human desire with other components of human culture, which makes Lacan’s theory a form of structuralism. Linking the space between people in a social-psychoanalysis approach is a form of structuralism. In reference to this idea, it is worth noting that the ability to connect people in a cultural dimension calls for a structural comprehension between different tenets like language and economics. As advanced by Lacan, for instance, capitalism and economics are significant components of human culture that influe...
Morreall, J. (1982) ‘Philosophy and Phenomenological Research’, International Phenomenological Society, Vol. 42, No.3, pp. 407-415
Derrida thinks that Logocentrism is unreasonable. As a result, he raises deconstruction to against the established philosophy.
In this term paper, I have tried to tackle the metaphysical issues of consciousness by first defining consciousness and doing a thorough study about the term. Then I proceeded to the metaphysical aspects of consciousness, examining and understanding them.
Jacques Derrida in 1966 gave a lecture at John Hopkins entitled “Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences” whereby explained the importance of identifying the structure, sign and play when applying his technique of deconstruction. A deconstructive reading is a reading which analyses the specificity of a text’s critical difference from itself” (www.stanford.edu). Ap...
our existence in reality is a question which philosophers have tackled throughout time. This essay will look at the
Consciousness is a concept that is socially constructed to define a real, yet abstract phenomenon. The point of defining consciousness, in Combs words, is to take an metaphysical idea, something that can not be understood directly in itself, and turn it into an object for humans to understand from a concrete perspective. For the purpose of this paper, the type of consciousness that will mostly be discussed can be described as having consciousness, an adverb that is understood as an experience, not solely the state of being alive (Walden. Lecture. 8/24/16). To define consciousness in words does not do it justice, as it is comprised of the intangible and feelings. Yet, consciousness directly effects the physical world. According to *** , the meaning of consciousness arises in
One of the first things that has always caught my attention with the concepts of Deconstruction has to do with the representation of reality and truth through language. Since we learned via Saussere's structuralist linguistics that the word as we know it is arbitrary and dependent on signification for meaning, how can we be assured that the signification and contexts we are using are the right ones to convey reality? The readings this week of Jacques Derrida, Jonathan Culler, and others shed light upon how the process of deconstruction works to identify the structural assumptions we make when deriving meaning, and how those can be exposed through the deconstructive process to critically examine what represents experience and reality.
Deconstruction or poststructuralist is a type of literary criticism that took its roots in the 1960’s. Jacques Derrida gave birth to the theory when he set out to demonstrate that all language is associated with mental images that we produce due to previous experiences. This system of literary scrutiny interprets meaning as effects from variances between words rather than their indication to the things they represent. This philosophical theory strives to reveal subconscious inconsistencies in a composition by examining deeply beneath its apparent meaning. Derrida’s theory teaches that texts are unstable and queries about the beliefs of words to embody reality.
First, Appleby, Lynn, and Jacob discussed the ideas concerning history. The first idea described how Newton and Darwin became chief examples of the Heroic model of science. Then, in a later chapter, the authors’ show how Newton and Darwin fell from grace and the effect this had on history as a discipline. Nevertheless, early historians felt that the way to find the truth was though science. Early historians felt that through science they could become neutral and reconstruct the past exactly as it happened (241). I analyze tha...
Sociology of Scientific Knowledge is a relatively new addition to sociology, emerging only several decades ago in the late 1970’s, and focuses on the theories and methods of science. It is seen as a notable success within the fields of sociology and sociology of science. In its infancy, SSK was primarily a British academic endeavor. These days, it is studied and practiced all over the world, with heavy influences in Germany, Scandinavia, Israel, the Netherlands, France, Australia, and North America.
Parker, Robert Dale. Critical Theory: A Reader for Literary and Cultural Studies. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012 . Print.
No one can stay in himself; the humanity of man, subjectivity, is a responsibility for others, an extreme vulnerability. The return to self becomes interminable detour. Prior to consciousness and choice, before the creature collects himself in present and representation to make himself essence, man approaches man. He is stitched of responsibilities. Through them, he lacerates essence.1