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Questions and Answers
What does Derrida describe as a 'metaphysics of presence'?
What is a 'transcendental signified' according to Derrida?
What is the focus of Derrida's critique of ethnocentrism?
What is the significance of the 'transcendental signified' in Derrida's philosophy?
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What is the relationship between phonocentrism and logocentrism?
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What is the primary focus of Derrida's deconstruction of texts?
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What is the significance of Saussure in Derrida's critique of ethnocentrism?
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What is the relationship between logocentrism and the concept of the 'transcendental signified'?
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What is the implication of Derrida's critique of Western philosophy?
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What is the significance of the concept of 'presence' in Derrida's philosophy?
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Study Notes
Jacques Derrida's Works
- List of notable works: "Circumfession", "Dissemination", "Spectres of Marx", "Margins of Philosophy", "Glas", "Spurs: Nietzsche's Styles", "The Truth in Painting", "The Post Card: from Socrates to Freud and beyond", "Politics of Friendship", "Body of Prayer", "The Work of Mourning", "Acts of Religion", "The Animal That therefore I Am"
Derridean Theory
- Critiques traditional Western concepts of identity, truth, and reality
- Argues that these concepts achieve their status by repressing other elements (un-thought)
- Centralizing certain concepts and repressing others constitutes Logocentrism
Logocentrism
- Belief that spoken words faithfully represent objects, concepts, and meanings in the real world
- Knowledge of the world is inevitably mediated (influenced by Saussure's ideas)
- Derrida extends Saussure's terms "signifier" and "signified" to make the distinction between them "problematical"
Metaphysics of Presence
- Deconstructive interpretation holds that Western philosophy has emphasized immediate access to meaning
- Built a metaphysics around the privileging of presence over absence
- Deconstructive thinkers question or deconstruct this metaphysical tendency in philosophy
Transcendental Signified
- Logocentrism is motivated by a desire for a "transcendental signified" or "centre" (language-independent)
- A "transcendental signified" is a meaning that transcends all signs
- Examples: God, Presence, Platonic forms, Cartesian cogito (which does not exist or is unknown)
Ethnocentrism
- Derrida critiques phonocentrism, which supports his interrogation of ethnocentrism
- Ethnocentrism is epitomized in the Western world's preference of speech over writing (influenced by Saussure's ideas)
- Saussure thought that historically, the Western world had privileged writing over speech due to its permanence and the status of literature.
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Description
This quiz covers various books and essays written by French philosopher Jacques Derrida, including Circumfession, Glas, and The Gift of Death. Test your knowledge of Derrida's philosophical concepts and ideas.
