This paper compares the philosophies of Thomas S. Kuhn, as presented in "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" and of JacquesDerrida, as presented in his essay entitled "Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences".
Abstract This paper explains that, stressing the specific structure of scientific revolutions, Thomas S. Kuhn's structural account of the production of scientific knowledge constructs a generalized picture of the process by which a science is born and undergoes change and development. The author points out that JacquesDerrida's deconstructive viewpoint on structure complicates Kuhn's account of normal versus revolutionary science because Derrida opposes reason from the inside. The paper relates that Derrida's analysis of the construct of structure decenters Kuhn's notion of a paradigm in which Kuhn believes normal science takes place; that paradigm itself represents a fixed origin, which Derrida insists cannot exist independently.
From the Paper "In order to fully understand how Derrida's deconstruction of discourse relates to Kuhn's structure of scientific revolutions, one must first analyze the process Kuhn exemplifies. For Kuhn, the production of scientific knowledge undergoes six main steps. The first is a pre-paradigm stage in which the natural phenomena that later form the subject matter of a science are studied and explained from widely differing points of view. Next comes the emergence of a paradigm that is published by recognized scientists and defines the concepts and methods of research appropriate to the study of those particular phenomena. The third stage in the development of scientific knowledge is a period of normal science in which theories are explored and scientific puzzles are solved. A critical stage is the discovery of new phenomena that violate the expectations of that particular paradigm."
Tags: paradigm, deconstruction, anomalies, rules, process
A description of JacquesDerrida's attitude towards the term "animal" and examination of the viewpoints of Martin Heidegger and Jacques Lacan regarding this term.
Abstract This paper examines how Derrida applies his process of deconstruction to the term "animal." It looks at how Derrida asserts that "animal" and "human" did not always represent two distinct categories; rather, there are humans, mice, monkeys, snakes, etc., and a human is no more different from a mouse than a snake is from an elephant. The paper also discusses how, when Judeo-Christian thought became dominant, the concept of "the animal" came into existence as an absolute other and, with this linguistic separation, came a psychical divide that caused us to lose touch with the dark, mysterious, "animal" which resides deep inside of ourselves.
Outline:
Introduction
Derrida On Lacan: The Animal Cannot Cover Up Its Tracks. But Can The Human?
The Seer
The Great Disavowal
From the Paper "An animal's relationship to the world is limited by its "disinhibitors" - its inner drives that render it completely passive to its bodily demands. Heidegger calls this state of passivity "captivation." The animal is completely at one with its disinhibitor - it does not have the reflexive ability to step back from its drives and perceive that it is controlled by them. Because it cannot see outside of its "disinhibiting ring," it only perceives the world insofar as it relates to its own instinctual demands. Not being able to escape this state of stupefaction, objects only exist for the animal in relation to its present needs. Unable to step out of its disinhibiting ring, it cannot perceive objects as existing in themselves, as more than a means to serve the ends of its disinhibitors. Passivity with respect to its disinhibitor implies passivity with respect to objects in the world - it must use and perceive them only insofar as its disinhibiting ring requires. "
Abstract This paper discusses postmodern philosophy and the term "differance," which was coined by JacquesDerrida to challenge the totalitarian view of being and attempt a more authentic description of our existence. The writer explains differance, which Derrida insisted does not have any kind of form, using several types of examples. The paper concludes that Derrida calls on us to remain disturbed - to keep us focused on the deferred presence-ing that ultimately leads us to the absolute.
From the Paper "Post-modernism realizes that there is an open world out there. The metaphysics of being does not singly define the world that we live in. Instead there is a "breaking open" of long-held beliefs that we have grown accustomed to. This means then that the ground that we have all been relying upon has been removed. An imagery of the rug being swept under one's feet comes into mind. Derrida is an example of such a man who sweeps the rug and makes one off balance. It is his concept of the play of differance that seeks to replace the totality of being. Derrida then enjoins us not to fall trap to a totalitarian view of the whole but rather to a constant dynamism that truly characterizes our existence."
Abstract The paper exposes certain key and central issues present in "Differance" that place the work in a framework in which it can be clearly understood. The paper shows how Derrida moves beyond the dualism of traditional Western thought to expose a view of reality which assumes that there is a permanent truth that can be discerned behind appearance. The paper examines Derrida's belief that meaning and truth are not static and that understanding reality through language is not a simple matter of connecting the signifier with the signified or the word and its apparent designated meaning.
Outline:
Preamble
Understanding the text of Differance
From the Paper "Philosophy and Western thought has for centuries, since Platonic idealism, wrestled with the concept of a dualistic view of reality. The Platonic view of the ideal and the real forms constitute the underlying basis of Western thought. An implicit and critical part of Platonic thought is the separation between common reality and the ideal forms and Truth. This separation between being and Being is also, for Heidegger, the fundamental structure of Western metaphysics. The assumption of duality and reason as modes of reality in modern thought was radically questioned by Nietzsche and later in the works of Jacques Derrida and Martin Heidegger, among others."
Abstract This paper examines Philip Larkin's poem "Church Going" from a deconstructionalist perspective. It also looks at how deconstruction is, a mode of literary criticism and how first advocated by JacquesDerrida, this literary theory has spread like wildfire throughout Western humanities departments. It begins with an overview of deconstructionalist theory, followed by a brief history of "The Movement" (the group to which Larkin was classified) and concludes with an extensive analysis of the poem.
From the Paper "This poem is indicative of both Larkin and the poetry group categorized as "The Movement" to which Larkin, albeit reluctantly, was assigned. Following World War II in Britain, there was a general sense of disillusionment that accompanied imperial decline. In its wake, a group of lower-middle-class white poets emerged that have since been labeled ?The Movement.? This group consisted of such poets as Kingsley Amis, Elizabeth Jennings, Philip Larkin, Donald Davie, Thom Gunn, Robert Conquest, John Halloway, and John Wain, among many disputed others. The poetry from these individuals tends to reflect everyday life, with a (at the time) newfound emphasis on clarity, democratic values, religious decline and intellectual detachment."
This paper review and compares three books: "Philosophy and Social Hope" by Richard Rorty, "The Law of Peoples" by John Rawls, and "Cosmopolitanism and Forgiveness" by JacquesDerrida.
Abstract This paper examines these three books and evaluates each in terms of its political feasibility. It explains that these writers, especially Rawls and Derrida, are well known in philosophical circles as being among the top abstract social theorists, but it is difficult for us to see their ideas in a social context other than when they pause to criticize society in their work. It discusses how Rorty considers himself to be among the premier "neo-pragmatists" and draws upon the tradition of Dewey. Derrida first came to the United States as a celebrity in philosophical quarters as he helped invent linguistic deconstruction. Rawls was Harvard's premier theorist, along with his contemporary, Robert Nozick, in the early 1970?s.
From the Paper "Richard Rorty is a self-described ?neo-pragmatist,? who considers himself a dutiful disciple of William James and John Dewey. James and Dewey were notably different from Rorty's contemporaries as he describes them; instead of limiting the study of philosophy to the abstract realm of discussing minor logical or epistemological points, James and Dewey proposed broad-sweeping social changes that were predicated on ideas of social embetterment. James, the first of these, proposed that the meaning of ideas is found only in terms of their possible consequences. Rorty expands this to a contrarian attack on the effete distance maintained by intellectuals from the goal of building an American democracy based on mutual improvement. Rorty proposes a "liberal utopia," but rather than believing that it is not so much the destiny of human nature or of history, he opines that it is simply the best idea that men have produced from the objectives for which they work."
Abstract Analysis of how Thomas Hardy's poem, "I Look into My Glass," illustrates JacquesDerrida's belief that it is a function of language that words and concepts do not have a perfect 1-to-1 relationship.
From the Paper "Jacques Derrida's "The Exorbitant. Question of Method" from "Of Grammatology" articulates the concept of the supplement out of the writing of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Derrida views the usage of the word "supplement" as having both negative and positive meanings in Rousseau's work. The multiple meanings present in Rousseau's text are used to explain the ambiguity of written words. Ambiguity is not seen as writing's problem but rather its function. Derrida then goes on to enunciate how this function is both problematic and necessary. His characterization goes quite strongly against the idea of logos, that ideal of unity between thought and expression that is thought to be available in the presence of speech. Thomas Hardy's poem "I Look Into My Glass" can be used to display the necessary ambiguity of the absent language of writing, and how the interpretative dance is problematized because through textual interaction with the world meaning is endlessly deferred."
Abstract This paper identifies 14 different deconstructive analysis strategies and applies them to Charlotte Bronte's novel "Villette." The paper looks at Bronte's vision of the confusion between appearance and reality and describes deconstructive analysis, and the theory of JacquesDerrida. It also looks at the levels on which the novel can be analyzed.
From the Paper "In Villette Charlotte Bronte exploits the confusion between appearance and reality and the difficulty that its characters especially Lucy have in recognizing both the self and others in order to encode ..."
Tags: Villette, Charlotte Bronte, deconstructive analysis, Derrida
Abstract This paper discusses the issue of discourse and knowledge. The writer examines the works and views of five different philosophers in order to study the subject of discourse and knowing. In this article, the writer discusses the beliefs of JacquesDerrida, Michel Foucault, C. L. R. James, Audre Lorde and Edward Said in order to examine the relationship between discourse and knowledge.
From the Paper "Several different thinkers, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, C. L. R. James, Audre Lorde and Edward Said all undertook an analysis of the nature and value of discourse and the relationship between forms of discourse and such variables as knowledge and the location of the knowing or the speaking subject. This essay drawing upon the works by these philosophers will examine these relationships, arguing that not only is discourse shaped by knowledge on the part of the speaker and the listener but ... "
Tags: discourse, knowing, philosophy, Derrida, Foucault, C.L.R. James, Lorde, Said
Abstract While Wittgenstein crafts a method of thinking, Derrida constructs the linguistic structure of philosophy within literature. In his view, philosophy exists solely within language and the language of the pen is the primary form. Language, then, for both philosophers, is the sole arbiter of philosophy. Without language, there can be no salient thought. Language and thought combine to create a form, but not a substance. Wittgenstein worked within the form; Derrida worked to provide the substance. On discourse in thought and the use of language, Wittgenstein and Derrida differed at least slightly.
Abstract This paper examines whether it is justified for literary scholars to critique Derrida and post-structuralism as apolitical. It is evident that such criticism is accurate, for Derrida's theory of language holds that there is no inherent relationship between the linguistic signifier and the signified. The paper shows that this is broad implications, for accepting this denial of a relationship between signifier and signified requires acknowledgement that the meaning of a word issues from the structure of language itself.
From the Paper "In analyzing whether it is justified for literary scholars to critique Derrida and post-structuralism as apolitical, it is evident that such criticism is accurate, for Derrida's theory of language holds that there is no inherent relationship between the linguistic signifier and the signified. This is broad implications, for accepting this denial of a relationship between signifier and signified requires acknowledgement that the meaning of a word issues from the structure of language itself. Even more implications ensue because of Derrida's argument that words gain their meaning through the process of difference, which he described as a dual process involving differing and deferring. In this theoretical process, every element has to refer to the other element in order to define itself."
Abstract This paper contends that Aristotle and Derrida both devote a great deal of attention to the issue of friendship. This paper analyzes both men's opinions on the question of whether reciprocity is necessary in friendship.
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts Jacques Cousteau's discoveries with American underwater scientists during the same timeline. It specifically compares his work to that of the American underwater scientist named Charles William Beebe. The paper concludes that Cousteau's work overshadowed that which was produced by the rest of the world although many of his ideas and discoveries were closely related to the work of the American, Charles William Beebe.
Table of Content:
Jacques Cousteau
Charles William Beebe
The Bathysphere
The Lime Diving Suit
The Invention of SCUBA
Underwater Photography
The Bathyscaphe
Cousteau's Growing Media Career
Environmental Activism
Cousteau's Achievements and Record
From the Paper "Jacques Cousteau's list of achievements and awards is very extensive for an equally extensive and amazing career span of more than sixty years. During his career he discovered species of animals and sea creatures that had never before been seen by a human eye, he led ground breaking expeditions around the world and to foreign parts of the world, including Antarctica, he developed diving equipment used by military forces and scientists alike, he developed methods of raising ships that had sunk over 130 feet to the surface so that they could be repaired and put back into service, he perfected underwater broadcasting, and created some of the worlds most riveting underwater documentaries and films. Cousteau founded environmental organizations, and non-profit organizations for the protection of the environment, he invented turbosails, and studied natural disasters as well as environmental disasters caused by human error, such as the oil spills in Alaska. His work has been recognized world wide by world leaders and organizations. He has been received by the President of the United States in the White House and he has been invited to address the UN Environmental Conferences, he has also been appointed to many international boards concerning the environment and ecosystems."
Abstract An essay on Jean-Jacques Rousseau, which discusses his works, "The Social Contract" and ?Discourse on the Origin of Inequality.? It shows how Rousseau's doctrine had a profound impact on French revolutionary thought, as well as socialist thought. Moreover, many believe he anticipated, rather than influenced, many insights of modern social psychology.
From the Paper Jean-Jacques Rousseau lived from 1712-1778 during the height of the French Enlightenment. In 1762, he wrote "The Social Contract" examining many of the difficulties concerning freedom and authority to determine how freedom might be possible in civil society. He believed that in the state of nature humans enjoy the physical freedom of having no restraints on behavior (Rousseau). However, by entering into the social contract, humans place restraints on behavior, thus making it possible to live in a community. Rousseau contends that by giving up physical freedom mankind gained the civil freedom of being able to think rationally, although, as humans were good in a state of nature, corruption must thus be born from civilization. Rousseau sought to harmonize one's individual need for expression with society's need to ensure the well-being of community life (Rousseau)."
Abstract This paper explains that, in "The Social Contract", Jean Jacques Rousseau clarifies the idea of the social contract and the way the state should work together with its subjects to create a perfect and peaceful society. The author points out that Rousseau's opening statement that "Man is born free" is intriguing because, according to the rest of the section, this statement is not true; a child is obliged to be in bondage to its parents until it can leave the home on its own. The paper contends that, until lessons from the past can be recognized, books like "The Social Contract" will have academic value only; practical applicability is entirely dependent upon the human ability to recognize lessons, to adjust, and to evolve accordingly.
From the Paper "Rousseau makes a strong argument in his first book when he states, ?One thinks himself the master of others, and still remains a greater slave than they.? (Book I; ch.i). This is applicable to current society, which is more often than not subject to some or other less than laudable human trait such as greed or addiction. People are slaves to money, drugs, success or any other of a maze of possible enslavements. This was also true in Rousseau's time, and he recognized that human beings are in bondage since birth."
Tags: applicability, bondage, slavery, sovereignty, government
