Deconstruction/Deconstructive Architecture (Page 2)

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We always prefer to see good films, read good books, have great cars, and so on. Given the choice of 'good' and 'bad," We wish to do and have nothing bad. According to Jacques Derrida, the French philosopher and literary critic instrumental in introducing deconstruction, everyday thought and language is always structured in terms of Similar differences. 

Differences like, theory vs. practice, good vs.bad, presence vs. absence, truth vs. lie, speech vs. Writing, man vs. Woman, and so on. These differences, further according to him, do not stand as independent and equal entities. one term in each pair is considered the negative, corrupt, undesirable, Version of the other term. To give a few examples, bad is the fall from good, absence is the lack of presence, and lie is the distortion of truth, etc. In other words, the two terms are not simply opposed in their meanings, but are arranged in a hierarchical order that gives 'one' term a priority over the 'other term.

Since, being different from, or being other than, is what allows a term be what it is, a term may be understood to exist only in being different from its 'other. For example, a thing may be Considered 'good only in relation to or being different from Something 'bad." Hence, giving preference or priority to 'one'. Over the 'Other Certainly remains questionable. Deconstruction shows how this priority may be undone from Within a particular text or language. 

According to Derrida, deconstruction amounts to not only question this priority of 'one' term over the 'other term, by showing how the 'other term in each pair has an equal claim to be a possible Condition for the System. It also amounts to re-inscribing the two terms, the 'one' and the "other, in a Way Such that neither term is capable of dominating or governing the "other and, hence, put both terms into Question. while the former remains a deconstructive criticism of an existing text r philosophy, the latter remains a constructive re-inscription of the terms Without their induced Subjective preferences.

(Continues...)


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