Derrida

Catalog description

This is a course on Jacques Derrida's theory of language, meaning, and signifiers, concentrating on his great early works of the 1960's. Derrida has had an enormous influence on the philosophy of language, on political philosophy, and on the interpretation of the history of metaphysics. The issues around language and signifiers are connected to Derrida's other topics of writing, difference, presence, and deconstruction. His invention of "deconstruction" has often been misunderstood, but it is extremely interesting, important, and useful for anyone interested in meaning. Derrida's writing is difficult, and his ideas are highly controversial, but studying Derrida is essential for anyone who wants to understand and do philosophy in a contemporary way. We will study Derrida's texts closely (sympathetically as well as critically), and consider his work in relation to philosophy, linguistics, and semiotics (the theory of signs) of the period. The most important thing that students will take from this course is a range of options for thinking about how "signifiers" work. It is strongly recommended that any students enrolling in this class have completed at least two Philosophy courses before it begins.