Flipped Learning Task : Derrida and Deconstruction
Flipped Learing : Derrida and Deconstruction
This blog is part of flipped Learning task based on Derrida and Deconstruction . In this blog the questions and answered after watching the videos.
What is Flipped Learning ?
Video 1 : Defining Deconstruction
1.1. Why is difficult to define Deconstruction ?
Deconstruction is hard to define concisely because it's a philosophical approach that challenges fixed meanings and interpretations of language and texts. Its complexity arises from its aim to uncover and question underlying assumptions about meaning and representation.
1.2 Is Deconstruction a Negetive term ?
Deconstruction is not a negative term; rather, it's a philosophical method that aims to uncover hidden meanings and assumptions in texts and language. It challenges traditional binary oppositions and hierarchies by revealing how meanings can be fluid and context-dependent. While some may view it as destabilizing or critical, its purpose is to open up new perspectives and interpretations rather than solely negate or dismiss existing ones.
1.3 How Does Deconstruction happen on its own ?
Deconstruction doesn't happen on its own; it requires critical analysis and interpretation to uncover hidden meanings and challenge assumptions in texts and language.
Video 2 : Heidegger and Derrida
2.1 The Influence of Heidegger on Derrida
Heidegger's influence on Derrida can be summarized as profound and foundational for Derrida's development of deconstruction, particularly in terms of ontology, language, and the critique of metaphysics.
2.2 Derrida rethinking of the foundations of Western philosophy
Derrida's rethinking of the foundation of Western philosophy revolves around his concept of deconstruction. He critiques the traditional metaphysical assumptions that underpin Western philosophical thought, such as the privileging of presence, binary oppositions, and the idea of a stable, fixed meaning.
2.3 Ferdinand de Saussureian concept of language
Saussure's concept of language focuses on the structure of signs within a system (langue), emphasizing the arbitrariness of the relationship between signifiers and their meanings.
Video 3 : Saussurean and Derrida
3.1 How Derrida deconstructions the idea of arbitrariness ?
Jacques Derrida deconstructs the idea of arbitrariness by challenging the traditional binary oppositions and hierarchies that underpin language and thought. He argues that meanings in language are not fixed or objectively determined but are constructed through systems of difference and deferral. Derrida critiques the notion that language reflects a direct relationship between signifier (word) and signified (meaning), instead highlighting how meanings are contingent and subject to interpretation, thereby exposing the arbitrariness inherent in linguistic and philosophical structures.
3.2 Concept of Metaphysics of presence
The concept of "metaphysics of presence," often associated with Jacques Derrida, critiques Western philosophical traditions that prioritize presence, essence, and immediacy. It suggests that these traditions privilege what is present, stable, and essential over what is absent, deferred, or contingent. Derrida argues that such metaphysics marginalize or ignore the complexities of language, temporality, and context in shaping meaning and understanding.
Video 4 : DifferAnce
4.1 Derridean concept of DifferAnce
Jacques Derrida's concept of "différance" plays on the dual meanings of the French word "différer," which simultaneously means "to defer" and "to differ." It suggests that meaning is constructed through differences and deferrals rather than through fixed, stable identities. Différance challenges traditional notions of language and presence by highlighting how words both differ from and defer to each other, emphasizing the inherent instability and indeterminacy in language and meaning.
4.2 Infinite play of meaning
The idea of the "infinite play of meaning" refers to the endless and open-ended nature of interpretation and significance within language and texts. It reflects the notion that meanings are not fixed or definitive but are constantly evolving and shifting based on context, perspective, and interaction with other texts and ideas. This concept, often associated with postmodern thought, challenges the idea of fixed truths or singular interpretations, emphasizing instead the multiplicity and fluidity of meaning-making processes.
4.3 DifferAnce = to differ + to defer
Jacques Derrida coined the term "différance" to highlight the dual meanings of the French word "différer": "to differ" (in terms of meaning and identity) and "to defer" (in terms of temporality and postponement). This dual play on words captures Derrida's philosophical exploration of how meaning is constructed through both difference and deferral, challenging traditional notions of stable, fixed meanings in language and philosophy.
Video 5 : Structure , Sign and Play
5.1 Structure , Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Science
"Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences" is an influential essay by Jacques Derrida that challenges fixed meanings and centers in language and interpretation, proposing instead a view where meaning is constructed through endless referral among signs.
5.2 Explain : "Language bears within itself the necessity of its own Critique "
The phrase "language bears within itself the necessity of its own critique" suggests that language inherently contains the potential for self-examination and criticism. In other words, as we use language to express ideas and concepts, we simultaneously create the conditions for questioning and analyzing those expressions. This idea aligns with philosophical and critical theories that emphasize reflexivity and the self-awareness embedded within language use and interpretation.
Video 6: Yale School
6.1 The Yale School: The hub of the practitioners of Deconstruction in the literary theories
The Yale School of literary theory, led by figures like Jacques Derrida and Paul de Man, championed deconstruction, which challenges fixed meanings in texts through an analysis of language's inherent ambiguities and contradictions.
6.2 The Characteristics of the Yale school of Deconstruction
The Yale School of Deconstruction is characterized by:
Focus on Language: Emphasizes the instability and ambiguity of language and texts.
Deconstructionist Method : Analyzes texts to reveal underlying contradictions and multiple interpretations.
Critique of Binary Opposites: Challenges fixed hierarchies and dualities in texts.
Influence of Jacques Derrida: Draws heavily from Derrida's ideas on différance and the play of language.
Literary Criticism: Applied deconstructive principles to literary texts, questioning traditional interpretations.
Video 7 : Other Schools and Deconstruction
7. How other schools like new Historicism , cultural Materialism , feminism , marxism and post colonial theorist used Deconstruction ?
Here's a brief overview of how various schools of thought have used deconstruction:
1. New Historicism: New Historicism utilizes deconstruction to challenge traditional historical narratives by deconstructing texts to reveal power dynamics and ideologies embedded within them.
2. Cultural Materialism: Cultural Materialism employs deconstruction to analyze cultural artifacts, exposing how power and material conditions influence their creation and reception.
3. Feminism: Feminist theorists use deconstruction to critique patriarchal structures within texts, revealing how gender roles and identities are constructed and maintained.
4. Marxism: Marxist critics apply deconstruction to uncover economic and class biases in literature, examining how texts reinforce or subvert capitalist ideologies.
5. Postcolonial Theory: Postcolonial theorists use deconstruction to critique colonial narratives, exposing how Western ideologies dominate and marginalize non-Western cultures in literature and discourse.
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