1. Jacques Derrida Student Edition
Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences
Edited by: Dr. Kay Picart and Brett Ader
A power point presentation by David and Keith

2. Early Derrida Born 1930 in Algiers (French colony in N. Africa)
Born into Jewish family
Experienced cultural marginalization
Expelled from first school because his presence exceeded the allowed amount of Jewish students.
Left second school because of anti-Semitic hostilities

3. 1966 John Hopkins colloquium
The purpose of this colloquium was to introduce Structuralism
Structuralism promised to provide such fields as anthropology and literary criticism with a scientific basis of study
Presenting his paper last, Derrida put all of Structuralism into doubt.

4. What is Structuralism?
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5. Levi-Strauss He named structuralism
He applied structuralism to his anthropological work.
He sought in his works to create a “grammar” of myths based on his analysis of Nambikwara in S. America
He believed his research would reveal a structure for myths related to all cultures

6. What are some of Derrida’s criticisms of structuralism?
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7. What is deconstruction?
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8. Why, for Derrida, are binaries problematic?
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9. Deconstructing Plato Plato condemns imitation
Yet, he himself is speaking through the voice of Socrates
Therefore, Plato is an imitator

10. Dance and Play of Differences
If Plato is an imitator, then his work is unreliable
If Plato’s work is unreliable, then imitation is an acceptable means of literary expression
Therefore, if imitation is acceptable then Plato’s work is reliable
And the cycle begins again

11. Question
In your opinion, how successfully could Deconstruction be used for any political agenda?

12. Works Cited
Derrida, Jacques. “Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences.” Critical Theory Since Plato Edited by Hazard Adams Heinle & Heinle
Powell, Jim. Derrida for Beginners Dansbury, CT: Writers and Readers 1997
Palmer, Donald. Structuralism and Post Structuralism for Beginners Dansbury, CT: Writers and Readers 1997