Sunday, December 7, 2008

Jaques Derrida and Deconstruction

-Derrida is known as the father of Deconstruction

-recognized that writing has both advantages and disadvantages - like good and evil, you cannot have one without the other

-believed that through writing, the work can make an author present without the author being physically present

-all about interpretation...what does the author really mean? (varies from person to person)

-the absence of the author means that we are left with only the text and texts are understood in different ways

-texts are read in various ways AND on multiple levels

-promoted careful reading of texts

-thought that a person's commentary about the texts (their criticism of it) was personal interpretation

-considered "liberal" compared to Hans Georg Gadamer

-thought that Westernized ideas of thinking were embedded in our minds

-thought Gadamer too positive about tradition - was more contemporary in his thought

-thought that readers have sole control over texts

-ALWAYS rethink your interpretations, play with texts you read, be willing to hear what it is saying and above all, QUESTION it - for this is when understanding (deconstruction) takes place.

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