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00:00:00 – 01:28:21
The video delves into Derrida's work, focusing on themes such as language as writing, temporization, and the relation to the other. It discusses Saussure's linguistic theory and challenges traditional notions of language. Key concepts explored include the signifier, signified, trace structure, and the interplay between speech and writing. The analysis extends into ontology, subjectivity, and ethics, emphasizing the importance of hospitality to the other and fostering inventiveness. Derrida's critique of transcendental signifieds and textuality's influence on language, subjectivity, and foundations are highlighted. The discussion expands to encompass Rousseau, Hegelian perspectives on writing systems, and the phonetic alphabet versus other writing systems, touching on elements of ethnocentrism and justice in language.
00:00:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses a complex passage from Derrida’s work, focusing on the themes of language as writing, temporization, and the relation to the other. They propose using a particular sentence as an epigraph and matrix for approaching Derrida’s work. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding Derrida’s concept of the trace and delves into the linguistic theory of Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, a key inspiration for structuralism. The video also touches on Saussure’s views on language arbitrariness, moving beyond traditional notions and highlighting the limitations of the traditional naming model in language.
00:10:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the view of language where the relationship between a word and its object is disrupted. They introduce the concept of the signifier and the signified, emphasizing that a linguistic sign is not tied to its object by pointing or labeling, but by its position and differences within the language system. The sign’s identity comes from its place in the system of language and its differential identification from other signs. The speaker explains how a sign gets its identity through differences and only then can objects in the world be named. The classical Lockean model is contrasted with the Saussurean model, where language plays a crucial role in defining concepts and identifying objects. The speaker further discusses the notion of a system of differences without positive terms and introduces the idea of the “Derridean house.” The importance of the signified part of the sign is questioned, and the speaker challenges the traditional understanding of language and meaning.
00:20:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the concept of the signifier and signified in linguistic theory. They propose ditching the idea of a signified and focusing on signifiers, suggesting that signifiers only refer to other signifiers. The speaker deconstructs the traditional view of signs and language, emphasizing the role of inherited language systems and differences in linguistic understanding. The discussion touches upon Derrida’s critique of Saussure’s emphasis on speech over writing, highlighting the distinction between declared purpose and implicit complexities in linguistic analysis. The analysis points to a fundamental aspect of deconstruction, emphasizing the nuances of reading and interpreting texts.
00:30:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the tension between the intended meaning of texts and their inherent complexities. It delves into the view that all signifiers lead to an indefinite chain of other signifiers, challenging the idea of singular meanings in text. The video analyzes the relationship between speech and writing, emphasizing that in alphabetic systems, writing is seen as a representation of spoken language. However, the text argues that all language is essentially signifiers of other signifiers, leading to a reevaluation of traditional associations with writing such as absence or separation. The speaker touches on the inherited concepts of signified, speech, and writing, aligning them as signifiers of signifiers in the broader context of language analysis.
00:40:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses how speech is just as susceptible to absence and death as writing, thanks to the widespread availability of recording devices. The speaker explores the spooky experience of hearing the voice of a deceased person on an answering machine. They explain the concept of writing as a signifier and introduce the term “trace” as a way to justify language choices and explain differences in language systems. The analogy of the letter B is used to illustrate how elements in a system gain meaning through their relationships with other elements. The speaker delves into the ontological status of the concept of trace, capturing a state that is neither purely present nor absent in the conventional sense.
00:50:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker delves into the concept of the trace structure, highlighting how entities like the bee and all beings exist in a complex interplay of presence and absence. The trace structure challenges traditional notions of presence and absence, invoking aspects of writing and textuality. Derrida expands this notion beyond language into ontology, suggesting that all things should be rethought based on the trace structure. The trace structure interweaves text and reality, blurring distinctions between language, world, and human/non-human entities. This leads into discussions on subjects emerging in response to the other and a critique of self-sameness and sovereignty. Derrida’s later work explores how identities are constantly compromised in attempts to secure themselves, leading to cycles of violence and challenges to fixed identities. The segment concludes by hinting at ethical and political implications, emphasizing the importance of being hospitable to the arrival of the other and fostering inventiveness.
01:00:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses Derrida’s concept of the trace and how it leads to rethinking traditional philosophical ideas about language, signification, and subjectivity. Derrida challenges the idea of a transcendental signified and argues that everything is part of the textual system, blurring the distinction between language and the world. He critiques attempts to find solid foundations outside of textuality, such as in the concepts of God or man, suggesting that they are byproducts of textuality. The discussion also touches on Derrida’s relationship with Freud’s ideas, highlighting how the unconscious can reveal hidden meanings in language. Ultimately, Derrida advocates for rethinking notions of interiority and subjectivity within the context of textuality and the trace.
01:10:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the interpretation of Rousseau’s unconscious without delving into psychoanalytic readings. They emphasize the complexity of issues related to language, ethics, temporality, and the other, suggesting a unifying understanding through the concept of trace. The discussion also touches on the misunderstanding surrounding Chinese writing within a context of logo centrism and Hegelian perspectives on writing systems. The speaker expresses excitement about these interconnected concepts and the ongoing development of these ideas in philosophy.
01:20:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the prejudice in favor of the phonetic alphabet as the best writing system that reflects spoken language. However, even phonetic writing systems have limitations in capturing the nuances of speech. The discussion goes into ethnocentrism, focusing on how Western languages approach writing compared to other cultures like the Chinese with ideograms. The conversation delves into a debate involving Lévi-Strauss and his perceived ethnocentrism towards Amerindian tribes regarding writing systems. The speaker then transitions to Derrida’s views on justice and truth, emphasizing how performative dimensions in language, distinct from truth claims, relate to the concept of justice. This shift towards justice over truth is seen as significant in Derrida’s ethical turn, particularly showcased in his lecture ‘Force of Law’ at the ‘Deconstruction and the Possibility of Justice’ conference.