2005-07-15 difficult but satisfying (use a beginners guide if possible)

OK, its heavy reading- but boy is it rewarding. For me, Derrida's deconstruction of Saussure, Levis-Strauss, and Rousseau leaves us with an uncanny realisation of the unsuitability of language for philosophy. For me the basic idea was that philosophy like Saussure's conception of identity through difference, relies upon binary opposition favouring a positive pole over a negative one- for Derrida a metaphysical precept emanating from Logocentrism (the idea that speach is an origin and writing a mere supplement).

Saussure's linguistic project of identity through difference which so influenced the French social sciences seems failed as Derrida delights us with moments of Saussurean binary opposition caving in itself through . At times I felt presented with almost Godellean moments. How Derrida does it, I do not know- I have tried myself to conflate 'opposites' the way he does without much success.

Be warned that this is heavy going and in my opinion requires (at least)a rudimentary prior knowledge of various thinkers (Heidegger, Freud, Nietzche, Saussure [and the Post-/Structuralist projects generally- especially Lacan and Levi-Strauss]). What helped me through this book was the 'Routledge Critical Thinkers: Jacques Derrida' by Nicholas Royle (London:2003)and the illustrated Introducing Derrida by Jeff Collins and Bill Mayblin (Icon Books, 2000). Referring to the excellent Spivak 'introduction' as a safety-net may also be of some help. Good Luck! (you'll need it).