Basic Knowledge
Jacques Derrida’s most eminent book Of Grammatology suggested a broad understanding of numerous concepts to me; however, I extracted three pivotal tenets that affected my knowledge repository. Primarily, the idea that writing derives from speech changed my opinion since I thought differently. This statement presupposes that to access the writing as the basis of any articulation, a unique mental experience is needed. Such is the experience of discernment associated with the operations of discernment and procrastination, postponement (Derrida 77). It seems close to the transcendental, requiring reductions similar to phenomenological ones.
The second idea that has influenced my philosophic perception refers to the concept of this theory application to Rousseau’s epoch. Rousseau believed that culture had invaded nature and violated its purity, while Derrida, deconstructing Rousseau, thinks otherwise (Derrida 153). There can be no question of any external aggression here because introducing something from the outside into nature is simultaneously impossible and necessary. The external and internal interact here in an unusual way for people. Ultimately, the critical idea that the writing could not have existed before the speech seemed logical, which was propped by Heidegger’s theoretic explanation (Derida 53). Since this meaning is nothing outside of language, outside of verbal language, the speech must have appeared before writing.
Metaphor and Argument
The first central question of this book concerns the roots of grammatology and its influence on the theories of numerous outstanding authors of linguistic and philosophical texts. In addition, the author is interested in the nature of the concept of supplement and how it developed in Rousseau’s works. Derrida elaborates on this principle in the second part of his book and tries to either approve or disapprove of some facts. The other question raised relates to the deconstructions, functionality, and principles.
Furthermore, the book can be divided into themes or idea clusters. One of the first significant topics traced at the beginning of the thesis is the process of writing is considered simply an extension or a means of speech, which makes writing derived from address. The scholars prove that writing could not have emerged before since a meaning could never exist outside of the speech (Derrida). Additionally, deconstructionism is seen through the text, and it presumes that the author is the primary architect of meaning and only they can change it. Ultimately, there is an idea of binary opposition as a major element of language analysis. It presumes that the core of this initial binary duality structure will always be found.
Relevance
The book’s content can be widely applied in the classrooms for masters and postgraduates in order to understand the influence of philosophy on the language and vice versa. The topicality of the books is conditioned by the ever-growing number of scientists dealing with the exploration of linguistic phenomena which root deeply into ancient times. What is more, it is vital to give students different historic standpoints on the development of speech and writing. Moreover, such notions as deconstructionism, logocentrism, and others should be reviewed in communication class for a better understanding of the philosophy of language. Ultimately, the book provides a broad perspective of the most prominent linguists and philosophers, including Claude Levi-Strauss, Ferdinand de Saussure, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and others. Therefore, it will be useful for both in-class and voluntary reading.
I will undoubtedly apply some of the obtained knowledge in my thesis as a theoretical basis. The material learned will help to systematize the foundations of my future research by providing trustworthy evidence. Additionally, Of Grammatology will be helpful in terms of teaching students the basic principles of speech and writing. In general, the book is valuable for expanding one’s mental horizons since it gives multiple different perspectives on the sole issue.
Work Cited
Derrida, Jacques. Of Grammatology. Translated by Gayatri Spivak, John Hopkins University Press, 2016.