Lecture 10 - Deconstruction I

In this lecture on Derrida and the origins of deconstruction, Professor Paul Fry explores two central Derridian works: "Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of Human Sciences" and "Différance." Derrida's critique of structuralism and semiotics, particularly the work of Levi-Strauss and Saussure, is articulated. Deconstruction's central assertions that language is by nature arbitrary and that meaning is indeterminate are examined. Key concepts, such as the nature of the text, discourse, différance, and supplementarity are explored. Reading assignment: Derrida, Jacques. "Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences" and "Différance." In The Critical Tradition, pp. 915-25 and pp. 932-39