Language and meaning, like the ball in the gif above, is always in play.
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In Linguistics and Grammatology, Jacques Derrida starts by establishing the heart of the problematic ideas of language. He then demonstrates the conveyance of language in general into writing, showing that writing has come to dominate the method of all linguistic analysis. The idea we call logocentrisim. Logocentrisim is the idea that word and language are an expression of external reality. Derrida use the term grammatology which is the scientific study of writing, systems or scripts as well as the study of their relationship to the spoken language. He discusses the ways in which writing has always been criticized because of its separation from the ideas, which are initially expressed in vocal words. Thus writing becomes representation of the spoken language, which is itself a representation of ideas. Derrida questions the notion that spoken language is any closer to “ideas” than a written one since the spoken language also relies on the relationship of opposing notions in order to have meaning. He uses the word Différance which is an attempt to conjoin the differing and deferring aspects involved in arche-writing in a term that itself plays upon the distinction between the audible and the written. After all, what differentiates différance and difference is not audible and this means that distinguishing between them actually requires the written, Difference is Derrida’s contribution to semiotics, which is study of signs and symbols and their use for interpretation. Derrida established a process called deconstruction. Deconstruction has two components: the invert, and destabilize the binary. Binary has to do with two opposites: writing and speech. For deconstruction to work, the binary is suspended through play. Deconstruction posits that one thing, as in a binary relationship, is not inherently better than the other.
Colin Alli
In Linguistics and Grammatology by Jacques Derrida, Derrida discusses the relationship between speech and writing and how speech and writing develop as forms of language. His core ideas are around speech and writing. He invokes Plato and Russo, seeing them as privileging spoken over written word. He then talks about logocentrism which is the idea that words and language are an expression of external reality. So why is speech considered superior to writing? Because writing comes after the speech and because writing is begun with a thought then it goes into speech finally on to writing. But Derrida refutes this and says that the structure of writing and grammatology is more important. Grammatology is the scientific study of writing systems or scripts as well as the study of their relationship to spoken language. He developed a kind of tool called deconstruction which is when you take two components invert (turn upside down) and destabilize the binary. For this to work you need to find and reveal what the two opposites are. Derrida coined the idea of arche writing. Arche writing is the way of thinking about writing in a specific way. A sign can only refer to other signs not to itself, one sign leads to the next. There is special diferm and absence is what resuscitates writing. Spatial differ is writing for self or others due to a difference of location. He talks about differance which is the attempt to combine the concepts of arche writing in a single term. In the end Derrida wanted to display the relationship between text and meaning.
In Linguistics and Grammatology, Jacques Derrida tells us by explaining the problems of language. He explains how the conversion of language into writing has come to overcome everything. He talks about logocentrism which is the idea of an external reality. Jacques explains grammatology which is study of writing. He discusses the ways in how writing has always been different since ideas come verbally, but writing becomes the representation of spoken language. He believes how writing is destroying ideas since writing doesn’t express the feeling. He believes that spoken language also relies on other arguments to have meaning. Jacques believe in the way of Arche writing. This type of writing is the way of thinking about writing in a certain way. He explains the way of speaking is different for example certain words have difference meanings, but close to being similar in spelling. He believes symbols and sign is a good example to distinguish the actual writings. Some words cannot really be spoken out loud, but only written for example the words of Différance and Difference. The study of signs and symbols are used to separate the words. The first word has a special symbol which makes it a completely different word. The written can only separate the two words not oral. Another process he introduces is deconstruction which is the opposite of the two when the binary is broken down. Jacques goes over the difference between text and meaning since it completely different have both have different meanings.
The article “Linguistics and Grammatology” by Jacques Derrida is asking the question “Why is speech superior to writing?” When you think about speech it comes from thought and mental experiences. Writing comes after the thought process and the spoken word. Derrida tries to show us how writing and grammatology the study of the relationship between writing and the spoken language are more important than just the general spoken word. One way he uses to explain his findings are through Arbitartious of the signs which fall into two subsections invert and destabilize binary and suspend binary though play. To use the first component you have to find out the binary relationship in this case it’s between speech and writing. When you tear them apart you realize that one is not better than another they feed off each other and build. Language is always in play it’s always growing and evolving. He also comes up with three terms to explain the connection between speech and writing. The first term is Arche writing which is to think about writing in a specific way rather than in a general way. When you think about a thought it leads to other concepts. Breach is something that can happen in both speaking and writing which is what we all know as miscommunication. Breach is a term that separates us through time spacial and temporal difference. Spacial difference separates you through location and temporal difference separates us through time. For example, the temporal difference when something is written a long time ago people back then and people in the present interpret it differently. The second term is trace, which forms a connection between signs. Connections can be used to deconstruct two binaries. The third term is supplement, which is when an original concept is aided with something else. In this case, the written language aided speech. Speech is used to help with writing.
Jacques Derrida starts off his essay, Linguistics and Grammatology, by quoting the French philosopher J. J Rousseau, “Writing is nothing but the representation of speech.” Derrida believes that there is a distinct connection between writing and speech and he uses Saussure to back up his claim, “Language and writing are two distinct systems of signs; the second exists for the sole purpose of representing the first.” Writing and language seem to work hand in hand, because writing is used to express language in a way that spoken language just can’t do on its own. Derrida also uses Aristotle to support his claim, when he says “spoken words are the symbols of mental experience and written words are the symbols of spoken words.” Writing, language and speech all work together in order to give us a form of communication. Even though they all work together, Derrida explores the idea of which form of communication is more superior than the other. He believes that speech is more important than writing, and that the order goes from thought, to speech to writing. We have a natural bond with sound, in which spoken words are closer to our thoughts than writing could be. This essentially is true, because there are times in which there can be a miscommunication in what was understood, and what was actually meant. Through the use of logocentrism, he explores the idea that words and language are simply an expression of external reality. The external reality he claims is an interaction with the world that is already and always mediated by language. He does admit however that the structure of writing and grammatology is more important that the structure of speech.