Pre-Class Blog -- Derrida

In "Différance," Derrida attempts to draw out the truly radical implications of Saussure’s model of language. He proposes, in a nut shell, that his own notion of différance, derived from Saussure’s own model, more accurately depicts the true nature of signification than does Saussure’s concept of ‘difference’. I feel like Derrida’s interest is in "langue", a term I definitely had to look up: the abstract principles by which any language operates rather than words themselves. This reading was difficult for me to totally unpack but I felt that Derrida was trying to demonstrate how Saussure’s notion of difference deconstructs itself. He brings out the unseen implications of Saussure’s model of the sign in order to highlight the radical ideas it offers. Every time one says/writes ‘white,’ one simultaneously implies all the other signs from which it is differentiated (ex. black) in order for it to mean what it does. Far from being distinct, each sign exists in a relationship of dependency with the others. The trace of the other signs inheres, as Derrida puts it, in each sign. This relates to the car example we talked about in class - the functionality of a car, getting someone from point A to point B versus the status someone receives due to the type of car they drive which can be different from others. The meaning of a car and its signifiers can in fact be deconstructed and mean two totally different things. To bring in my own example, I thought of shoes. A shoe is something meant to protect our feet, so that you can walk places without harming yourself, however with all of the different types of brands it has turned into a fashion statement. Anyone could buy flip flops for a dollar or two at a Walmart but instead as consumers we buy Nike sneakers because of their logo and meaning in society or spend thousands of dollars on a pair of heels for a night out on the town. The only difference or "differance" is the type or brand - again not the functionality or purpose of what the shoe does for us.