Logocentrism

by Payal Mudliar

1. SHRI BALAJI INFOTECH English Literature Literary Criticism L ogocentrism YouTube Channel

2. L ogocentrism A Short Introduction Jacques Derrida’s

3. A philosophy holding that all forms of thought are based on an external point of reference which is held to exist and given a certain degree of authority. 01 02 03 04 Derrida identifies in all of Western philosophic traditions, a logocentrism or “metaphysics of presence”. It refers to the tradition of Western science and philosophy that regards words and language as a fundamental expression of an external reality. " Logocentrism " is a term coined by the German philosopher Ludwig Klages in the early 1900s.

4. Logocentrism , as manifested in Saussure's phonocentrism , holds that speech (which brings thought) is a privileged, ideal and self preserving identity through which all discourse and meanings are derived. 05 06 07 08 Today, logocentrism is thought of as a primarily Derridean term. Logocentric thought privileges speech for this characteristic as well as its interiority – “thinking to oneself” is typically thought of as internally “hearing oneself speak” rather than “reading one’s own writing.”  Per Derrida, logocentric thought is thought that privileges the “logos” as the central principle of philosophy.

5. Derrida’s philosophical contention against logocentrism will provide elucidating insight into the nature of such an ordering. But first, we must understand his argument. 09 10 11 12 Derrida criticizes logocentric thought for relying on an uninterrogated metaphysical assumption. This kind of assumption relies on the forced closure of structures, a closure which will produce a tendency towards positive truth values.  Derrida questions the “metaphysics of presence” which underlie logocentrism by applying the concept of “trace.”

6. Derrida makes a critical step in philosophy by simply attending to his medium in critical terms outside the realm of the hermeneutic. 13 14 15 16 Critical thought about logocentrism is really about attentiveness to the materiality of communication and the implications of such a project. Extant, specific languages make communication material, and exploring the interplay of terms within a linguistic system is what Derridean deconstructive projects hinge upon. In criticizing logocentrism’s privileging of speech on the grounds of the metaphysics of presence, Derrida does not wish to assert that writing is in some sense superior or more essential.

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