The Power of Law

Description

In deconstruction, we can distinguish two phases, between which the subject matter and issues of this philosophy changed, while its concepts and tools remained unchanged.

In the first phase, Derrida’s deconstruction took on a purely theoretical character, even adding a touch of dryness to theoretical philosophical thought. It focused on problems of language, the sign, meaning, signification, repetition, and others, addressing them with rigorous abstraction. This is evident in its reading of linguistic structuralism, its stance on the history of writing in Western thought, its repeated questioning of essentialist thought in the history of philosophy, and its persistent attempts to refute its logic and illuminate its margins. Although deconstruction, in this phase, transcended the boundaries of philosophy to enter the world of literary criticism, it remained confined to the narrow academic sphere.

In the second phase, Derrida chose to focus on practical problems, shifting his interest in language, for example, from the realm of abstract theory to the sphere of social discourse and interaction. Although he adopted a critical stance towards pragmatic philosophies and engaged in heated debates with their leading figures, this did not negate his affiliation with and contribution to this philosophy. This shift culminated in his focus on practical issues, choosing to address law, justice, rights, violence, power, authority, the state, and other related topics in their ethical, political, and historical dimensions. He developed clear positions on current events such as war, extremism, terrorism, and interfaith dialogue.